Darkness Falls
by The Rose Duelist
Summary: The Sequel to 'A New World Rises'. An old being has awakened with one desire: revenge. When it possesses one of their own, the heroes of the World Regeneration must work together to stop the creature before it plunges Aselia into darkness, while searching for a way to rescue their friend from captivity and certain death. ON HIATUS**
1. A Complicated Homecoming

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the sequel to 'A New World Rises'! If you haven't had a chance to read that story, please do (otherwise you might be confused starting this story). For those of you already familiar with the story, I hope you enjoy the first chapter! Please review and let me know what you like :)

 **A/N (05/15/17): And we're back! If you haven't read these first few chapters, welcome to the sequel of 'A New World Rises'! If you have, please re-read as I've edited them a bit (though the plot content hasn't really changed).**

* * *

His time was coming. He could feel it.

The resistance was breaking down, slowly but surely. In the darkness, he cautiously pushed the boundaries, extending his reach inch by inch whenever he could. He had to be careful and wait until he was sure he couldn't be felt in the black. That he wouldn't be observed destroying the ability to keep him caged. It was slow, but it was progress regardless. Soon, he wouldn't need to sneak around. Soon, he would be in control.

 _Freedom._

If he were able to scream, he would have. Rage threatened to swallow him up; the anger was so old. He'd forgotten what it felt like to not be constantly angry. But the freedom he desired. It was so close. So unbearably close, he could almost taste it.

But he knew he had to wait. He was eager, but he was also sensible. Years and years spent in that cage taught him that patience was key. It was clear to him that if he had waited this long, a little longer would be bearable. He would bide his time until the opportune moment.

And then he would be free to find them.

Find them and make them suffer.

* * *

Approximately two months since the Half Elf Equal Rights Act passed in the Convention of Sylvarant, Raine found herself in Iselia for Colette's birthday. It was already half past seven, and the sun had fallen under the horizon just minutes ago. The full moon slowly rose in the sky, casting its silverly light onto the path in front of Raine as she walked towards the Brunel residence. It had been a long time since she'd walked down this path, much less visited the town. Despite the fact that she retained ownership of her home in the village, Raine spent the majority of her time in Arkylia, due to the responsibilities of her position as Chair of Sylvarant. As she walked along, she tried to remember the last time she'd visited. It must've been… _the mayoral election_. That had been a little over a year ago. _A whole year_ _…_ she shook her head. So much had happened since then. It felt like a lifetime ago.

A flare of pain shot through her back and the half elf slightly stumbled, catching herself quickly. Sighing, Raine wondered when it would go away. Digging a tiny bottle out of her pocket, Raine opened it, put a tiny pill in her mouth and swallowed. A wave of anger threatened to overtake her optimistic mood, but she mentally pushed it aside. _Not tonight._ Tonight was for Colette.

As the half elf neared the cottage, the sounds of merriment reached her ears. _There must be quite a crowd,_ she inferred. It was to be expected: Colette was turning 18, the age when a child legally became an adult. It was traditional to have a party with friends and family to celebrate the coming of age. Depending on one's social standing, the guests may also include politicians, foreign dignitaries, or members of the clergy. Colette had many friends, so it made sense to the ex-professor there would be many attendees.

The whole event felt ironic to Raine. In her eyes, Colette was already an adult, even if the law didn't recognize her as one. The young woman had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders from such a young age as the Chosen of Sylvarant, and now she led the newly-revived Church of Martel, all before the age of 18. This arbitrary placeholder was a way for others to confirm what Raine already knew about the young woman. Colette matured at an early age, and carried that wisdom and grace with her through childhood and adolescence.

Upon walking into the home, Raine's vision was filled with moving bodies. It seemed everyone Colette had ever met was here. Frank's house was filled to capacity. To classify it as overwhelming was an understatement. Raine felt her inner introvert cringe. Perhaps she wouldn't stay that long: say hello Colette and any of their other friends, spend a half an hour with them, then take her leave. There was a new treatise about the latest archeological finds twenty miles north of Flanoir resting on her night stand at home that she was eager to start. Or she could get to the election paperwork she'd avoided drafting all week done. Besides, the half elven woman probably wouldn't have a chance to spend an ample amount of quality time with the birthday girl. With so many guests, Colette's attention would be pulled from one guest to another in the span of minutes. Which was fine with Raine; she much preferred the idea of taking Colette to breakfast or tea, when it would just be the two of them. Yes, Raine would suggest that to the blonde when she saw her.

The half elf weaved through the crowd of attendees, taking note that many were priests and priestesses from the churches spread across Sylvarant. Occasionally, Raine ran across a former student or a student's parent from her teaching days and she exchanged pleasantries. Finally, Raine made it to the kitchen, and she caught sight of Frank, Colette's elderly foster father.

"Frank. It's wonderful to see you." She embraced him.

"You as well, Miss Sage." He gave her a spritely grin.

"How are things?"

"I haven't had this much excitement in years! So many ladies and gents, and they're all here for my little girl."

"Colette is well-loved. She always has been."

"I'm just grateful to have been the one to raise her." He gave Raine a wink and said, "You'll find the birthday girl out on the patio."

"Thank you."

Raine exited the kitchen from the opposite side of her entrance, passing through the sitting room before opening the doors to the patio. As she stepped out into the humid night, she felt the heat stick to her skin. Her choice of a simple knee length white dress had been wise. It was muggy, but she didn't mind. Arkylia was always cold and brisk. This was a welcome change, and a weather that was more suited to her constitution. Just another reason the half elf was happy to be gone from the capital city, even if for just a few days.

"Professor!" A shriek sounded through the air.

Raine swept her eyes towards the origin of the scream, and saw Colette surrounded by a group of younger people. Smiling serenely, Raine walked over and said, "Happy Birthday, High Priestess." She and Colette embraced. When she stepped back, the Chair casually studied her. The scar on Colette's left cheek was slowly fading away, while the scar on the right cheek was getting darker. But it didn't hinder the young woman's radiance. She positively glowed with happiness. Literally. Colette's face was a rosy pink; it looked like the birthday girl was taking advantage of her newfound freedom with some intoxicating beverages.

"I'm so glad you're here! I wasn't sure you'd be able to come. With the preparations for the upcoming election and all." Colette said.

"Of course I would come. They can manage without me for a few days."

"Could I speak with you later? In private." Colette blushed, her face now a bright red. "It's nothing urgent. I just...need some advice."

"Absolutely. You know you can always come to me for anything."

Colette gave her a grateful smile just as Lloyd bounded over, his eyes glassy. Had Raine ever seen her students intoxicated? Definitely not. This was a first. _Oh goddess_ _…_ Her mind went straight to Genis: did that mean he was bumbling around somewhere too? Inwardly, the half elf sighed, hypothesizing a long night ahead of supervising for her.

"Professssssor! It's so goooood to see you!" Lloyd grinned as he wrapped his arms around Colette's waist, giving her a squeeze. Raine watched Colette as she giggled, looked at Raine, and blushed again. If she kept blushing, she'd end up looking like a cherry tomato.

"It's nice to see you too, Lloyd. How much have you had to drink?"

"Not you too! Kratos was asking the same thing." He whined.

The sound of her former bodyguard's name made the heat rise in Raine's cheeks. Her last interaction with Kratos had been strictly professional: he had collected a small compensation package from the Convention, signed a few documents, and been on his way. The transaction lacked any of the warmth that was characteristic of the relationship they had developed. If she were honest with herself, Raine had been hurt and confused by the indifference of his countenance, but she said nothing. Instead, she let him walk out of the Convention and disappear into the world. That had been two months ago. She assumed Kratos to have gone to spend time with Lloyd, but she stopped herself from asking Genis or Colette about his whereabouts.

"Raine! Where have you been?" She turned to her right to see Genis, chowing down on what looked like a funnel cake covered with sprinkles, his eye level almost in line with hers. Her younger brother appeared to have undergone another growth spurt in the month since she'd last seen him. Now he was at her shoulder level. Just a few more inches and they would be the same size. At least it seemed he had not followed his friends' example of imbibing.

"I needed to settle a few things before I flew here."

"Election stuff? Man, they must be bummed that you're leaving."

"It's time for someone else to become the Chair. Besides, you know there are other things I want to do."

"Like what? Oh, I know! The Professor wants to…" Lloyd stared very intently at the ground before answering, "Join the Katz expeditions!"

Raine sighed and shook her head. It seemed the drink was loosening the already small amount of common sense the brown-haired boy had. "The Imperial Research Academy in Sybak has offered me a year-long residency position in their faculty. I would teach and conduct research in the subjects of my choice."

"Wow, Professor! That is so cool." Colette beamed.

"That's not the only offer she's got! Tell them about the others," Genis bragged as he stuffed the rest of the funnel cake into his mouth.

"Genis, I don't think that's appropriate right now." Raine said. She didn't want to take away Colette's spotlight. It was her party after all.

"Please, Professor! We want to hear." Colette said, as if reading Raine's thoughts.

Mildly embarrassed, Raine began to list the other offers she had received. A tenure-ship at the Palmacosta Academy, a founding member of the new University of Sylvarant based northwest of Hima, a three-year research grant with Sylvarant's Archaeological Society, and President of the Historical Society of Tethe'alla. She could see herself enjoying any one of those opportunities, and yet she had no idea which to choose.

"It sounds like you have quite a wealth of opportunities to pursue." A low voice behind her said.

"It's good to see you, Regal." Raine turned to the tall man, who joined their circle. He looked handsome, dressed in a blue tux, with his hair styled back. "How is life treating you these days? Is the Queen well?"

"I believe she hasn't yet forgiven herself for sentencing her father to death. But Queen Hilda puts on a brave face, as she must. Since the news of King Ferdinand's experiments with exspheres, I have been tracking down, collecting and disposing of all remaining exspheres in Tethe'alla. It seems the King had quite a few stores of them hidden in different locations and laboratories around the country. "

"How are you disposing of the exspheres?"

"Yuan and Kratos are shipping them to Wegalia and using the magitechnology there to destroy them."

"I would be curious to see how that is done."

"I'm sure they would allow you to accompany them. Occasionally, Presea does as well. she could speak with you about it. She's here tonight, though I do not know where at the moment."

Before Raine could ask another question, the guests from inside of the house poured onto the patio, Frank leading the charge. The old man drove a cart, on top of which sat a large birthday cake adorned with flowers made of frosting and eighteen birthday candles. Colette's face burst into joy as everyone around her began to sing 'Happy Birthday'. Raine watched as the High Priestess smiled gleefully, clapping her hands together excitedly. Lloyd walked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, whispering something in her ear. She smiled up at him. Raine couldn't help but smile: they were so happy, so in love.

As the song came to a close, Colette gazed at her father and mouthed 'Thank You.' He just shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. "Blow out the candles!" Someone called. Colette took a deep breath and blew, extinguishing all of the candles in one go. Everyone cheered, congratulating the birthday girl and clapping their hands in applause.

As Raine looked up into the crowd, her eyes locked with those of her former bodyguard, the last person she wanted to see.

* * *

A half an hour later, Raine walked out of the party towards her home. Sure, she'd missed saying hello to Seles, Sheena, Zelos, and Presea, but she was tired. The pain in her back had returned, and it was starting to make her irritable. What she needed was a warm bath.

Genis had said he'd be home in an hour or two, but Raine didn't expect him for another three or four hours, and told him to stay out. Her brother had always been the more social of the two Sage siblings. Which was fine by her. She would enjoy a quiet evening with her book and a cup of tea. Besides, he was growing up, and she knew she needed to let him. As long as he kept in touch, kept her in the loop, she would make an effort to stop mothering him and let go. He needed to grow into his own spotlight, make mistakes and learn the lessons.

As she rounded the corner, two voices floated to her ears from behind the bushes, just a few feet away.

"What is wrong with you?!"

"What is wrong with me? You're the one acting weird!"

Raine stopped in her tracks. She knew those voices. They belonged to Sheena and Zelos.

"It was a joke, Sheena."

"No, it wasn't. It was insensitive and mean."

"I was just having a bit of fun."

"You never say stuff like that. What's going on with you?"

There was a pause in the conversation before he responded: "Look…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"It's like you're acting like a completely different person."

"I just haven't been sleeping well. I've been feeling pretty out of it lately." He paused and continued, "I think I'm gonna head back to the inn and get some rest."

"See you later."

"Sheena, I'm really sorry."

"I know. Goodnight."

She listened to the footsteps travel in opposite directions, slowly moving out of earshot. _That was strange_. That seemed different from a lover's quarrel...

"Going home?"

Raine jumped and spun around. Kratos stood a few feet from her, observing. Of course. She had hoped to avoid him after the glance across the cake. It seemed fate had other ideas.

"Yes. I thought it would be best to retire for the evening."

He walked towards her and asked, "May I accompany you?"

Part of her wanted to say no. That was the part of her that was disappointed, confused, and daresay, hurt, by the tone of their last meeting months ago. But she knew those were all ego-based emotions. Kratos owed her nothing, and neither did she to him. What good would it do to say no? None. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was curious to know what he was up to.

"If you'd like," the half elf responded.

He fell into step next to her, silently. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked up at his blank face, trying to discern his thoughts. They continued onward in silence for several moments before he asked, "How are you?"

"Things are busy at the Convention."

"You are stepping down."

"You heard?"

He nodded.

"They were shocked that it was happening sooner than later. Regardless, I think it's a perfect time for someone with new ideas to guide Sylvarant into the next few years."

"Even with the current tenuous relationship with Tethe'alla?"

"Neither country wants to go to war. No matter who steps into this role, he or she will do their best to avoid such a perilous outcome."

"Any candidates?"

"There are some names floating about, but those interested will declare their candidacy next week." Of course, as the Chair, she knew most of the potential candidates already. But she was bound to secrecy until the public ceremony. Perhaps, at another time, she would have confided in him, but given their abrupt separation, the woman felt no reason to share the information.

"What will you do after?"

"The election? I haven't decided yet." She could feel his eyes on her, as if he was daring her to look at him. But Raine kept her gaze on the path in front of her. "I must consider what my goals are and see which of the opportunities presented is in alignment."

"Logical."

"What?"

"Don't forget to consider your own desires."

"I would say the same to you." Silence. She let that sink in. The half elf knew that it was a low blow; she could feel a wave of anger roll off of him. The half elf bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have provoked him. Quickly, she changed the subject: "I speak in haste. How are you? What have you been up to?"

There was a moment before he responded. But when he did, his tone was unemotional. "I am working with Yuan to remove the remainder of exspheres from Tethe'alla."

"And Lloyd? Have you spent any time with him?"

"Yes."

Her intuition smelled the undercurrent of uneasiness in his voice though his expression remained blank.

"But?"

"Lloyd spends a great deal of his time taking care of Dirk."

Ah, there it was.

"You should talk to Dirk."

"Why?"

"Dirk understands your place in Lloyd's life, and you understand his. You both want what's best for him, and that's all that matters. It doesn't need to be awkward, the two of you under the same roof with your son."

Kratos grunted in response.

He could be so stubborn.

"It would solve your problem if you just spoke to him."

"I will…think about it."

An explosion of pain burst through her lower back, causing her to trip. She felt his hands catch her, and wrap themselves around her right shoulder and waist. He helped her stand upright, but the pain was still there, causing her to wince. _Dammit._

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She grit her teeth. She did not want him to know. In fact, the only people who knew outside of the doctors were Genis and her assistant Keira.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, Raine. Are you injured?"

The half elf sighed. There was no use lying about it. "It's from the fall off the building. The doctors say I have a pinched nerve in my spinal column. With physical therapy and medication, it can be treated over time." The pain was excruciating now; her back felt like it was on fire. Fumbling around in her pocket, she brought out the tiny bottle. As she took one of the pills, she could feel him watching her, observing. This was not how she wanted him to see her.

"I'm fine. Really." She placed the bottle back in her pocket. He nodded but didn't let go of her. The next few moments, they walked in silence; she leaned on him as they arrived at her porch. Slowly, Raine extricated herself from his hold and walked up the steps to the front door. Half turned towards him, she said, "I trust we can keep this between us?"

He nodded, but remained silent.

"I hope things work out for you with Lloyd and Dirk. Goodnight, Kratos."

"Goodnight."

She turned and put the key in the lock.

"It's good to see you."

Surprised by his words, she turned and nodded to him. "It's nice to see you as well." Then, without further ado, she went inside and closed the door behind her, her heart thumping in her chest. So much for indifference.

* * *

The next morning, Raine and Colette sat down for tea at the Flower Inn Cafe. It was a charming little place: only a year old but bustling with activity. People came from far and wide to see the birthplace of the former Chosen turned High Priestess. It as only natural that Iselia's economy would receive quite a boost from the tourism. The two women exchanged pleasantries as they were seated on the balcony patio overlooking the streets below. It was going to be a beautiful day: the sun was high in the sky and not a cloud in sight.

Their tea arrived and Raine settled back into her chair, teacup in hand. "What did you want to talk with me about?

Colette looked down at her lap for a moment before meeting Raine's eyes. "Professor…when did you know you were ready for…" She trailed off, unable to finish her thought aloud.

Raine inferred what she wanted to talk about: the blush on Colette's cheeks said it all. "Colette, is this about Lloyd?"

The blonde nodded.

"You're not being pressured, are you?" The half elf narrowed her eyes.

"N-n-no! Not at all! I just…I just wanted to know…in case…"

Honestly, Raine could never fathom Lloyd pressuring Colette into doing anything. He respected her too much, cared for her too much. And the half elf didn't think that Colette would ever stand for such behavior, especially from a longtime friend turned boyfriend. The High Priestess had evolved into her own person in the two years since the World Regeneration. And the terrorist attack on Sylvarant only a few months ago fueled that fire. The half elf briefly wondered if Lloyd was also thinking about this topic. And if he were, who he would be talking to. _Either Dirk or Kratos_. Maybe both? She chuckled at the thought. It would be an interesting conversation to observe from a sociological angle if both fathers were present.

"Professor?"

"Sorry. So I am going to assume that this conversation is about sex." _No need to dance around the point._

Colette nodded again, her shoulders sagging a little as she took a sip of her tea.

"Do you have questions about the act itself? Protection practices? Or timing?" Raine set her tea cup down on the table and folded her hands in her lap. She had never given a formal health lesson to her students during her tenure as a teacher in Iselia, but had answered any questions that a few brave students had ventured to ask in private.

"I guess I wanted to talk about timing." Colette paused, then asked, "If you don't mind me asking, when did you…do it?"

Raine sighed, inwardly cringing at the question. This was not a memory she liked to dredge up in her brain. In fact, it was a period of her life she wished to erase entirely. But, looking into those terrified blue eyes, Raine caved. "I was seventeen. I had met a man while traveling with Genis. He…he was a very charming fellow, but only after one thing."

"Do you regret it?"

"Yes and no. That's a complicated question that has less to do with the physical act itself and more to do with my relationship with this person." Her stomach turned upon remembering his face. He had enchanting green eyes and sandy blond hair. It had been such a long time since she had thought about it. About him. So she changed the subject: "How do you feel about Lloyd?"

"I…I care a lot about him."

"What's concerning you?"

"He's my best friend. I just…I just don't want anything bad to happen if things don't work out."

"And why wouldn't they work out?"

"I don't know. If I did something wrong or—"

"Colette. There's nothing wrong with you. If things don't work out, it's just because the two of you may not be compatible as a couple. That doesn't mean you can't remain friends."

"But…what if it's bad?" Her face turned a bright red, reminiscent of how she looked the evening before.

"Sex?" Raine smiled knowingly. "No matter what, your first time is going to be awkward. But if you're with someone you really care about, and someone who really cares about you, then you'll get through it together. You may even have a few laughs. And it'll only get better from there. That's not something to worry about."

Colette nodded, taking another sip of her tea.

"A piece of advice. If you're not ready to say the word 'sex', you probably aren't ready to do it yet." Raine said solemnly. "How are things with Lloyd?"

"They're great. It's really…wonderful. I didn't think it could get any better than it was." A dreamy smile covered the blonde's face from ear to ear.

"I imagine it's a little bit hard though. With you traveling and Dirk's health."

"Yeah. I'm just trying to be there as much as I can for him."

"I'm sure he appreciates that."

A buzzing sound from Colette's pocket interrupted their conversation. The High Priestess pulled out her holocom and read the incoming message. "That's strange. Kratos just sent me a message to meet him at Lloyd's house immediately."

Raine checked her holocom. No new messages. That was strange indeed. _What's he up to?_ "I'll come with you."

Without waiting for an answer, Raine waved over their waitress and quickly paid the bill. It was a fifteen minute walk to the Irving residence; Colette filled it with stories about her newfound relationship, the many sweet things Lloyd did for her on a daily basis, and the surprises she had in store for him. Young love. Raine was almost envious. But she remembered too how dangerous it was as well. How full of heartbreak it could be. She hoped that Lloyd and Colette would never go down such a road. That they would remain blissfully happy.

As the two women arrived at the log cabin, Kratos emerged from the front door. His eyes flicked from Colette to Raine. Was there a hint of anger in his gaze? A mixture of curiosity and annoyance rose within her. What was wrong with her being there? Raine questioned him: "What's going on?"

"Miguel. We've found him."

"What? Where?" A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Welgaia."

"Are we going to go catch him?" Colette chimed in.

Kratos nodded but didn't take his eyes from Raine's. Did he not message her because he didn't want her to go? Or because he knew her injury would prevent her from going to battle?

"If he's working with exspheres in any way, we can't be sure of how strong he is now. I've alerted Zelos and Presea to meet us at the Tower of Salvation immediately."

 _He's only taking Angels._ That definitely seemed odd to her. Why wouldn't he want all the power he could gather against Miguel? Why would he exclude Sheena, Regal, and Genis?

"Dad, are you sure?" Raine could hear Lloyd from inside the house. A second later, Dirk came out on to the doorstep, Lloyd in tow. Raine could see Dirk looked exhausted. There were bags under his eyes; his hair was graying. He walked with the support of a cane.

"Yes. Now get outta here before I kick your skinny arse." The dwarf said.

"Jeez, I just wanted to make sure you'd be okay."

"I'll be fine. Just go catch the bad guy."

Kratos and Dirk exchanged a look. Raine wondered if Kratos had took what she said to heart. Her eyes swept over to Lloyd, who had walked to Colette's side. They were whispering to each other, presumably about Kratos' mission, already lost in their own world.

Kratos looked at the pair and said, "We need to go."

Raine clenched her jaw. She knew she was not well enough to follow them, but that didn't mean she wanted to be left behind. "Let me know when you get him."

His eyes met hers; her heart thumped in her chest.

"You'll be the first."


	2. Desperation

A/N: For some reason, FF is not letting me bold the telephathic thoughts of the angels. So instead they are underlined :p

* * *

Welgaia was burning.

Zelos' eyes widened as he stepped out of the transporter and onto the cold steel floor. Yuan and Kratos stood a only few feet away, eyes glued to the scene of chaos unfolding in front of them. Fires rose high in the sky, their flames licking the transparent walls of the city. Sweat started to run down Zelos' forehead; the heat of the flames filled the air, making his clothes stick to himself. He looked to his right to see Presea walk up next to him, her eyes solemn. Zelos still was getting used to seeing her older, and just a few inches shorter than he. But now was not the time. He looked back to the conflagration: it was surreal to see the stars twinkling above, calmly in space, juxtaposed against the destruction of the holy city.

The ex-Chosen took a few steps forward, processing the spectacle through his mind. The tunnel just ahead to the northwest had caved in, broken piping strewn across the moving walkway. Sparks wizzed and popped, wires fell over the sides towards the darkness of the the gap below. Flames danced across the pipes and moving walkway, cutting off access to the other portions of the city. To the direct right of the tunnel, a building burned. The metal of the walls began to curve and bend. Zelos gulped. How hot was that? He didn't want to go anywhere near that fire. In fact, he definitely didn't want to be here any longer. "Holy shit," he muttered.

"Oh my goddess!" Colette gasped, stepping out of the portal.

"Yeah, right? Looks like the bastard went to town." Zelos said. _More than that. It's like he had a mental breakdown..._

"We have to check the exsphere storage," Kratos pointed to the building adjacent to the one burning to a crisp. It was unclear what damage had been wrought from the outside, if any, as it looked like unharmed. However, Zelos knew better than to trust a book by its cover.

"Let's move." Yuan said and headed towards the storage facility.

"We're going in there?!" Zelos responded as Colette and Lloyd passed him, hand in hand. "What if it's a trap and Miguel's in there waiting for us?"

"All the better! You're not telling me you're afraid of a fight?" Lloyd goaded, glancing at him over his shoulder.

"Watch it, you punk." Zelos shouted and raced after the group.

His stomach churned as they ran across the platform towards the building. The angel certainly wasn't in the mood to die today, especially not to that crazy super soldier. He recalled how strong Miguel had been before in battle. What would he be like now when he was desperate to survive? Desperation made men do crazy things, and Zelos wasn't sure he wanted to be anywhere near Miguel when he cracked.

Before six months ago, Zelos didn't truly value his life. Before the World Regeneration, he was reckless, wild, careless; he didn't actively seek death but he wasn't exactly thrilled with the state of his life either. Death didn't scare him. Sometimes, he thought the world would be better off without him. Now was different. Now he had Sheena.

Kratos pulled the door open and the angels ran into the building. Smoke filled the room, stinging Zelos' eyes. He could feel it tickling his throat just as Colette fell into a coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

Colette nodded but coughed again.

"Shit." Yuan cursed. As Zelos' eyes adjusted to the gray haze of the room, his focused on the mess in front of them. Large titanium crates had been moved and thrown about the room in disarray. Many of them had their tops ripped from them, expelling their contents, which were... _Exspheres._ Hundreds of exspheres covered the floor, clumping together in little piles, glinting through the smoky haze. The angel could feel the parasites within the cold spheres calling to him. Had this been what Miguel was looking for? A cold dread flushed down Zelos' spine.

Kratos called out to him, but Zelos could hear no words in the roar as the the door to the storage was ripped away. Fires burst to life around them, the heat intense on his body. Embers filled the air, burning his skin. He hissed in pain.

Head for the exit! Kratos ordered.

As they rushed towards the doorway, a large plank fell from the ceiling towards Lloyd. "Watch out!" Colette cried and jumped, pushing him out of the way. It fell, narrowly missing the two of them. The roof continued to shake, showering debris down on the group. Zelos picked up Colette as Presea helped up Lloyd and they ran.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" A voice boomed from outside the quickly burning building.

At the exit, Zelos caught sight of the origin of the voice in the plaza: a huge creature loomed at the center. Cautiously, the group walked out of the building and closer to the being.

It was twice the height of a human; it's skin a translucent pink. The blue and red veins that ran through its body stuck out against the backdrop of the skin so well that Zelos could see them twitch as they pumped blood through the body. Its legs were stocky, as if three boulders had been stacked, one on top of the other, and glued together. Its arms hung at its sides, long and boulder-like as well, touching the ground. They were huge like mallets; the hands themselves were big enough that Zelos estimated one hand could scoop them all up simultaneously and squeeze them to most certain death. Tatters of cloth hung around the creature's torso. _Could it be?_

When Zelos looked at the creature's face, he knew. _Miguel._ The shiny head was free of the blonde hair that once sprouted there. The eyes were still there; though stretched horizontally, almost to the point of slits. His nose had morphed into a doughy blob on the face, with two small holes presumably working as nostrils. But his mouth was a blood red; less than a mouth. More like a perfect circle lined with sharpened teeth. _What the hell happened to him?_ And then he knew

"I was wondering when you would come." The creature said, raising its hands in greeting.

Zelos noted that Miguel's arms were pockmarked, as if there were small divots in his skin. Using his angelic vision, he examined the pockmarks and recoiled. Desperation had left its mark.

The dude has exspheres embedded in his skin! Zelos thought to everyone.

Oh, fucking hell. Yuan cursed.

I have calculated that his strength will have increased at least 150%. Presea interjected.

That's not comforting. Zelos responded.

Draw your weapons. Kratos said.

Reluctantly, Zelos pulled his sword from his side. How were they going to take on this thing?

"Oh, do you think you can match my strength? You are no match for you, any of you." Miguel jeered.

"Let's go!" Lloyd yelled and he and Colette charged forward. As they neared Miguel, they jumped away from each other, rounding him from opposite sides, and moved in for the strike. Miguel, however, was one step ahead. He lifted his arms and swung them in a windmill fashion around his body, slamming into both Colette and Lloyd simultaneously, knocking them backwards a few feet away.

Before Miguel could ready himself for the next attack, Yuan and Kratos rushed towards the brute, brandishing their blades in the offensive position. Kratos slid between the creature's legs, slashing at its ankles as he passed beneath Miguel. The villain hollered in pain as Yuan jumped high into the air, and brought his double edged sword down onto Miguel's shoulder. As the angel flipped away, ripping his sword from the shoulder, Miguel howled in pain, and reached to clutch the wound. Blood gushed from the wound and flowed down his arm in small rivers, dripping onto the ground.

Enraged, Miguel pounded the ground with his fists. Fissures spread through the ground, causing them to lose their balance and stumble. Taking advantage of their instability, Miguel charged towards Presea, who dove away, her axe skidding away from her on the cold floor. Miguel loomed over her, sneering, arching back one of his fists. Without hesitation, Zelos sprinted towards the giant and sunk his sword into Miguel's hip. "Haha, take that!" He shouted as he felt the metal slice through the skin into warm flesh. He tried to retrieve his sword, but was too slow. Miguel smacked him and he flew backward through the air, landing on his back.

Wincing, Miguel pulled the sword from his hip and tossed it aside, out of Zelos' immediate reach. Then he started to laugh. "Is that all you can do?"

Zelos could feel the rage bubble up inside of him. He wanted to rip that chunk of a nose off Miguel's face. He wanted to run his blade across the creature's neck and watch the blood pool downward, covering the entire body. He wanted to—

Zelos stopped the thoughts dead in their tracks and stood. It was happening again.

Instead, he rushed towards Miguel, feinting left, then right, and sank his hands onto Miguel's back. He imagined the flames sprouting from his arms, burning into Miguel's skin. The screams caused him to open his eyes and he back flipped twice to retreat from the creature's arm swings. The smell of burned flesh wafted into the air; Miguel howled as he tried to touch the burned area. Zelos darted towards his sword and picked it up, though feeling sluggish from the depletion of mana from his body.

Together, Colette and Kratos invoked "Judgement", raining down bolts of light onto Miguel. The noise was deafening as the pillars of light bombarded the battlefield. Many of them pierced his flesh, but Miguel laughed, and grabbed Kratos, flinging him towards the burning building. "Kratos!" Lloyd screamed and ran towards his father. But Zelos continued to watch Miguel's body. The wounds from the angels' spell were slowly closing, even though blood pooled from them. The ex-Chosen looked at the slice he'd delivered to Miguel's hip: it was pink, but closed. Then Zelos' eyes darted towards the slice on his shoulder: it was nonexistant. All that was left was the severe burn on his back.

 **He's healing at the same time we're hurting him. Dude is invincible!** Zelos thought to his friends.

 **Shit. The exspheres.** Yuan inferred.

They must allow for him to accelerate his healing. Presea agreed.

How the hell are we supposed to kill him? The burn is the only thing that's sticking. Zelos asked. His question was met with silence.

Miguel shouted "DEATH EATER!" as he punched the ground.

Beams of light flew towards each of them like homing missiles seeking their targets to destroy. Before Zelos could invoke Guardian, a light beam crashed into him, forcing him to his knees. He felt blood seep into his shirt; a stomach wound. Not good. He reached down and, with his last bit of mana, whispered, "First Aid". He felt the blood flow slow, but it wasn't enough. He hadn't sealed the injury.

Zelos looked up from his position and watched helplessly as Miguel knocked Presea back into Yuan, and their bodies skidded along the ground. The ex-Chosen struggled to raise himself by leaning on his sword, but he stumbled and fell forward onto his hands and knees, pain erupting from his stomach. His eyes wandered between each of his friends. Each was in various states of injury.

Oh goddess, this could be the end.

 _Let me out._

That voice, again.

 _No._

Now was not the time to be having an internal struggle with whatever it was inhabiting his mind. Zelos pushed back against it, but he could feel his mental strength decrease rapidly. There was a chance he wouldn't be able to fight to keep it in. But he had to focus on the now, on the fight in front of him. For if they fell to Miguel here, he would descend on Aselia and kill everyone. Sharp pain burst through the angel's muscles as he forced himself up from his knees. Miguel's ears twitched, and he swung around his head and his eyes zeroed in on Zelos, the veins in his throat squishing as he did so.

 _He's coming. And you will lose._

 _I will not lose._

 _You have no more strength left._

Zelos stood on his feet, gripping his bleeding side with one hand. Maybe he could melt the bastard with fire. That stopped him before. Maybe this time, he'd set himself fully on fire. Vainly, the ex-Chosen tried to call up the flames, but he knew the truth of what the voice told him: his mana was depleted and his strength on its last legs. If he didn't avoid Miguel's attacks, there was a fair chance he would die then and there.

And then an image of Sheena came unbidden to his mind.

 _He will kill her. He will kill them all._

Zelos watched her brush a strand of hair behind her earlobe and smile. He wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek, hear her voice one last time.

Then she was screaming. Shrieking in pain as tentacles wrapped around her waist and squeezed, taking the breath out of her. She called for him, her voice an eery wail in his mind. Tears rolled down her cheeks and the life slowly faded from her eyes.

 _Let me save her._

The angel closed his eyes, feeling the rage grow deep in his gut. He had to protect her. But what the devil was this thing inside of him? He didn't know.

But he was desperate. If this thing inside of him could kill Miguel, he had to take that chance. He had to kill the devil in front of him.

 _Promise you'll save everyone._

 _I will._

And Zelos let go, feeling the darkness consume him.


	3. The Return

Yuan cradled Presea in his arms, his face etched in fear. "Presea? Presea?" _Dammit, wake up!_

She blinked slowly, and once again. "I'm fine." She reassured him.

He shook his head vigorously. "You are _not_ fine. You're–" he began, but a movement out of the corner of his eye, forced the half-elf to stop mid-sentence.

Turning his eyes to the right, Yuan watched as Zelos standing upright, his whole body covered in flames. There were no screams coming from him; he looked completely untouched by the fire licking his skin. A throaty cackle escaped the ex-Chosen's mouth as he glided towards Miguel, stopping a few feet in front of the creature.

"What a pathetic piece of filth," Zelos spat, eyeing the gross mutation that was Miguel. "You thought you'd make yourself stronger by attaching those parasites to your skin? You're stupider than the rest!"

Enraged, Miguel swung his arms forward, aiming to pummel Zelos to the ground, but the redhead easily jumped out of the way. Instead, Zelos yelled, "DEVIL'S HELLFIRE," and grabbed onto one of the massive mallets, sinking his fiery hands into it and summoning a circle of flames. It encompassed Miguel's entire fist, burning the skin. Flesh smoldered and began to melt. Miguel screamed in pain, pulling his arm away from the burning hands and held it protectively. Yuan saw that the burns were extensive, and the fingers all but melted together. The pungent smell of burning flesh hung in the air and Zelos laughed again. The regeneration powers of the exspheres worked slowly, but not restoring the hand to its natural state. Instead, Yuan watched as they fused the fingers into a single lump of flesh. Miguel howled and stumbled backwards, his eyes blazing with anger and pain.

Yuan grit his teeth, watching Zelos as he paced back and forth in front of Miguel, like a cat stalking its prey. The blue-haired half elf could feel it in his bones. He and Kratos had been right about what lived inside Zelos, but at what cost?

"The amount of mana and skill it would require to cast a full body spell like that is well out of Zelos' range and ability, even with a Cruxis crystal." Presea murmured as she sat up next to Yuan. "How is this possible?"

"Because it's not Zelos." Yuan responded, grimly. She looked up at him with a questioning gaze, but he did not respond. He could not take his eyes off the red-haired man. Yuan was not one to scare easily, but in this moment, he could not keep the dread from building inside of him as he ruminated on what he had unleashed into the world.

Suddenly, Zelos sprang at Miguel, getting a sucker-punch to the stomach from one of Miguel's tree-stump legs. Smirking, Miguel yelled, "GROUND DASHER" and a huge chasm opened under the Angel, and Zelos was struck by the stalagmite that rose from the ground. Before he could stand, Miguel shouted "OUTBURST" and slammed his fist into the ground, flooding the air with bullets of light that sped towards Zelos and the others. Yuan grabbed Presea and raced towards a few fallen metal containers, jumping behind them for cover. Kratos, Lloyd and Colette joined them in the next moment, having the same idea. Together, they cast a "Guardian" spell, covering them from the incoming light rays.

"Dude, Zelos is awesome!" Lloyd grinned and asked Kratos. "Can I learn how to do those things?"

Kratos answered, but Yuan was not listening. Instead, he turned around and peered over the containers, watching the battle continue. Miguel flung another round of light spheres at Zelos, but all the Angel did was move between them gracefully, almost as if he were dancing. But, in his confidence, he missed one in his peripheral vision and tripped, opening up his chest as a target. A ball of light slammed into his chest, knocking Zelos to the ground with a grunt. Miguel crossed his arms, a look of satisfaction blazing over his face. Assuming an offensive stance, he began to pull his mana into a dark ball of energy at his side, presumably to use to kill Zelos with.

Rising to his feet once more, Zelos threw his head back and laughed, looking at the dark ball of energy. "You think you can beat me? With that? Is that all you've got?" Dusting off his pants, he smirked, "Well, it seems they don't make monsters like they once did. I'll just show you how it's done." The man picked his sword from the ground, swinging it around in an exhibitionist fashion. Then he crouched. Zelos set his teeth in a line; they gleamed in the firelight of the burning city. Miguel wound up his arm and through the dark ball, yelling, "Dark Sun!" Without any hesitation, he ran straight for the monster, holding the sword in a backward grip and cried, "AIN SOPH AUR!" A brilliant flash of light eminated from the blade and Zelos slashed the air. The energy from the blade plowed straight through the dark energy sphere and into Miguel, sending him flying backward, slamming into the exsphere warehouse.

Slowly, Zelos strode over to where Miguel's body had landed. Miguel struggled to sit up, wheezing as he did. His body was littered in cuts and scratches from the arte as well as the glass wall he'd crashed into. Blood pooled out of the cuts in small red rivers down his chest. The exsphere regeneration magic was waning; the uts were not sealing themselves as fast as they should. Horrified, Miguel looked down, realizing that he was reaching his limit. Zelos stopped to Miguel's side, looking down at the massive brute. "It looks like I'm the winner of this battle."

Miguel spat, blood covering his teeth and tongue as he talked. "You can't beat me. I'm invincible."

"We'll just see about that." Zelos sneered and raised his sword. With one fell swoop, he drove the blade into the giant's heart. Miguel shrieked, his voice reverberating off the transparent walls of Welgaia. The strangled sounds died quickly as Miguel squirmed as Zelos twisted the sword in his heart, causing Miguel to vomit blood over Zelos' face and shirt. Yuan watched as Zelos pulled the sword from Miguel's chest and watched the creature twitch and jerk. Then Zelos stabbed his sword into Miguel's neck. Blood poured down the front of Miguel's chest, and the giant slumped forward, unmoving. Miguel was no more.

It was silent, save for the crackling of the fires and snapping of wires. They had to escape. Yuan eyed the teleporter, about ten feet away from their current position. Could they make it there without engaging in a fight?

"My friends, come on out from your hiding spot. I won't bite." Zelos cackled as he slid his blade out of Miguel's body and wiped the blood off on his pants.

Yuan glanced at Kratos. A trap.

Kratos nodded. But we don't have many choices.

There is a 52% chance of success in retreating. Presea though.

Guys, it's just Zelos. I mean, he seems a little crazy, but it's still him. Why are we running away from him? Lloyd asked.

"Do you have no manners? I'm right here! I can hear your thoughts between each other!" Zelos hollered as he walked back towards the main square. "If you won't come out and greet me, I'll just have to make you."

 _Dammit._ They were backed into a corner. Well, if he was going to die, it wouldn't be hiding behind some piece of metal. "Let's go." Yuan said and stood from the hiding spot, walking out into the open.

"There. That's much better." Zelos said, crossing his arms over his chest. "My my, it's nice to see you Yuan Ka-Fai after such a long time. And you Kratos Aurion. I didn't think I'd have this pleasure again. I bet you didn't either."

"What's he talking about?" Lloyd asked, confused. "Zelos, what's going on?"

"Right. The young ones don't know anything, do they?" Zelos raised an eyebrow, looking from one face to the other. "Of course, why would they? I'm sure I was erased from history just like everything else. Where is our dear Mithos by the way?"

"Dead." Yuan said, eyes narrowed. "But you knew that."

A smile spread over Zelos' face. "You're right. I did. But it's so delicious to have you say it! And I'd say 'what a shame', but I'm glad to hear it. Did he suffer? Because he deserved a very painful death."

"What do you want?" Yuan asked. He felt rattled, knowing what lay beneath the skin of the ex-Chosen.

"What do I want? My freedom, for a start. Though this fool has basically given that to me, so I can't complain. Not exactly how I imagined escaping that prison you put me in, but I'll take it." Zelos shrugged.

His muscles tensed. "Then leave. You have what you want."

Zelos glared at the angel. "I can't. You don't think I can just forgive what was done to me? What was done to the Great Kharlan Tree? Someone has to pay."

"Mithos is dead. What more do you need?"

"THE GREAT KHARLAN TREE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR MISTAKES! MY TREE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF THE GREED OF HUMANS AND ELVES ALIKE." Zelos roared and flung a sphere of energy at Yuan sending him skidding onto the ground. He jumped up, grabbing the hilt of his sword, ready for an attack. His friends did the same, but Zelos made no move to attack. Yuan could still see the gleam of madness in his eyes and he waited, preparing for the moment when Zelos would unleash his fury upon them.

"It is true, the tree is gone. But a new tree has been reborn. A tree that is giving this world another chance to live and thrive." Kratos said, attempting reason. But Yuan knew there was none.

Not with a creature as enraged and insane as this one.

"Do you think that is enough to placate me? Do you possibly think I could forgive everything that was done to me, to the tree, without some recompense?" Zelos sneered. "And to name the new World Tree after Mithos Yggdrasill? What kind of insult is that? That pathetic half elf did nothing but bring death and destruction to Aselia!" He paced back and forth, becoming increasingly agitated with each step. "And you want me to forget how he betrayed me? Locked me up in that dark dungeon with those monsters?"

He stopped and turned, advancing on Kratos, stopping a few feet away from him. "Shall I forget how you did nothing to stop Mithos from betraying his pacts and locking away the summon spirits that supported his dear world? Hurting them and forcing them to work against their very natures to support his deranged dream? Or maybe you want me to forget how the greed of humans was the root of this problem. Fighting over who would control the mana of my tree. If Sylvarant and Tethe'alla had never gone to war, Mithos would never have gone on his journey, and my tree would still be alive." His voice was low and icy, but no less frightening.

Yuan saw a flash of silver. Kratos had drawn his blade and lunged at Zelos. The ex-Chosen screamed in rage and jumped back trying to avoid the stirke, but the blade swiped down his shoulder. "You'll regret that," Zelos seethed, clutching the cut. Swaying on his feet, he looked down at the wound on his stomach. "I seem to have forgotten that I need to heal. Damn human body." He looked back up at Yuan and Kratos and smiled. "It looks like we will have to postpone this reunion for another time, when I am appropriately healed." And then Zelos raced to the teleporter and disappeared, leaving the group amid the flames of the Holy City.

We need a plan. Kratos thought to Yuan.

Obviously.

"Who was that?" Colette asked.

"That was Ratatosk." Yuan said, grimly.


	4. Contingencies

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Life has been a bit overwhelming and hectic, but let's push along with the story! Reviews are greatly appreciated ^_^

* * *

"Someone explain to me what's going on and why my brother is gone." Seles snapped as the door closed behind her. They were all gathered in the living room at Lloyd's house, faces a mix of concern and worry. When she had received Lloyd's message to meet at his house an hour ago, she knew something had gone wrong. Zelos hadn't sent a message to her, which he normally did whenever he returned from a trip. She had prayed as she raced over from Colette's house that her brother was alright. But upon arriving at the cabin in the woods, the red-haired woman did not see Zelos anywhere.

"I'm sure he's okay," Colette said as she crossed to Seles and led her to the sofa to sit. The blonde squeezed her hand reassuringly, but Seles was anything but quieted.

"Where is he? Why isn't he here?" Seles asked again, her voice wavering between outrage and desperation.

From the chair against the far wall, Yuan said, "If you'd stop shouting for a minute. I could tell you." She glared at him but remained silent. "Zelos is no longer in control of his body. He has been taken over by Ratatosk."

"Who in the world is that?"

"Ratatosk is, was, the summon spirit of the Great Kharlan Tree. During the Great Kharlan War, when Mithos made pacts with all the summon spirits, he entered into one with Ratatosk as well. Like the others, he betrayed his pact when he split the world into two."

"But Ratatosk isn't like the other summon spirits, is he?" Raine asked.

"Astute. Like Martel, his sole purpose was to service the Great Kharlan Tree and protect it." Yuan snorted at this but continue, "Mithos knew this and sealed him away in the Ginnuganap, forcing him to guard the gate to Nilflehim."

Colette gasped. "Nilflheim? That's where the demons and monsters are, right?" Seles squeezed Colette's hand, feeling her own fear rise. A summon spirit had possessed Zelos? There had to be some way to exorcise the spirit. Oh goddess, she hoped so.

"But...how did Zelos get down there?" Genis asked. "I mean, I remember him saying that he went down there when he was running from the King. But Kratos, didn't you say that the only way to access the Ginnunganap was with the Derris Emblem?"

Kratos nodded silently from his position behind Yuan's chair.

"Seles, what was the item that Zelos stole from the king?" The half elven adolescent turned to her, curious.

Scattered, the young woman tried to understand what was being said. As she closed her eyes and searched her memories, she thought about the item Zelos had stolen, that he had showed her before he left Meltokio about a year and some ago. "It was this round disk. Emblazoned in gold. Um...it had some strange writing on it."

"That sounds like it could be it." Genis looked at his sister for confirmation, who nodded.

"That doesn't explain how a summon spirit ended up in his body!" Seles burst out, indignant. They were forgetting the point of the conversation: how to save Zelos.

"It is possible that Ratatosk lost his corporeal form when he was banished to the Demon gate. When Zelos appeared in the Ginnunginapap, the spirit could have feasibly transferred his essence to Zelos, as he had the Derris Emblem." Raine hypothesized, taking a seat in the large arm chair.

"And he wants revenge?" Regal asked.

"That didn't occur to me." Yuan said sarcastically.

"Because humans killed his tree?" Lloyd interjected.

"Yes."

"So all we have to do is steal the Derris Emblem, and Ratatosk should go away?" Seles asked, hopeful.

"No, it doesn't work like that." Yuan responded. "The Derris Emblem isn't a homing device or tool. I expect that it took a great deal of energy for Ratatosk to jump into Zelos' body, and it will be a long while before he can switch bodies again."

"So, how do we save Zelos?"

Yuan and Kratos exchanged a look; Seles did not like the unemotional tenure of it.

"It may not be possible." Kratos answered.

Her blood went cold and she looked at Kratos, uncomprehending what he had said. "What? What do you mean by that?"

"If Ratatosk has taken over his body, Zelos' consciousness may be gone already." Yuan explained.

"No, that's not true. It can't be true." Seles said, shaking her head. Colette put her arms around the High Priestess, but Seles shook them off, glaring at the angels.

"We've gotta save him." Lloyd said. "There's gotta be something we can do."

"Is there a place we can start?" Colette asked.

Fury flared in her stomach and Seles turned her gaze towards the silent ninja. "Why haven't you said anything? Don't you care? Or do you suddenly not care about him anymore?"

"I do!" Sheena shot back.

"Then help me!"

"Seles..." Colette tried to reach for her hand again but Seles snatched it away.

Zelos' sister rose from her seat, glaring at everyone and snarled, "None of you care! Just because he made some mistakes in the past...he would do anything for any of you!"

She turned and ran out of the door, her vision beginning to blur. "Seles, wait!" Colette called from behind, but Seles did not stop. She kept on running into the forest, back towards Iselia. The darkness of the night did not scare her, nor the creatures in the woods. No, what scared her was being left alone in this world without her brother. How could he not be saved? There had to be some way, something the others didn't know about.

Everything in screamed, and she felt the tears pour down her face as she slowed her run to a walk. Memories of her brother sped through her mind, from their childhood to the present time. The sounds of his laughter, the image of his smile. Gone, wiped from this world forever. It was too much. The woman stopped and sat on a rock, looking up at the moon in the night sky. Was he really gone? Hastily, she pulled out her holocom and, with trembling hands, typed a message to Zelos, hoping, praying that he would answer and the terrible nightmare would be over.

 _Talk to me._

Nothing.

 _Where are you?_

Still nothing.

She continued typing, the tears coming more readily as her desperation increased.

 _Everyone thinks you're possessed by some demon. Call me and tell me you're okay._

Silence.

The young girl stopped, the despair washing over her. She sobbed, sniffling as her cries escaped her mouth through uneven breaths. Was her brother truly dead?

Then a beep. Gasping, Seles flipped the holocom open.

A message.

 _I resent being called a demon. Demons are grotesque, mindless creatures. I am quite the opposite._

Her blood ran cold as she read the words. Then a beep. Another message.

 _Your brother loved you, little girl. I can tell you that much._

Loved. So it was true...The knife in her heart twisted, the grief becoming all-consuming.

Beep.

 _Would you like to save him?_

 _Yes._

 _Good. If you help me, I will give you your brother back._

 _Tell me what to do._


	5. Lost

He could feel himself dragging. The slow, ragged breaths and the weakness of the muscles indicated to him that he was pushing the body to the limit. He cursed. Why couldn't it have been a strong monster that had entered the Ginnungagap with the Derris Emblem? Why did it have to be this weakling human?

Well, it wasn't a complete weakling. The summon spirit had noticed that the wounds were starting to heal at an accelerated rate than he expected. If he stopped moving, he thought that the healing process would further quicken, and the woulds would disappear entirely.

He directed the eyes down at the human's hand. There it sat: a bright red jewel. If he had interpreted the human's memories correctly, he understood that this jewel, this Cruxis Crystal, was the source of his healing powers. As well as his increased fighting acumen. It looked different from the others that he had seen oh so many years ago. Those had been brown with none of the glimmer this one had.

 _Interesting._

But he could not think about that now. No. He needed to find shelter and water. Or he would be at risk of fainting here in the open. He needed to find some place to recuperate in peace.

Then he could put his plan into action.

* * *

Sheena couldn't figure out what she was thinking. So many thoughts and feelings whirled around in her head. It was hard to parse them out, to make sense of it all. Too much sensory overload threatened to numb her entirely.

Zelos was no longer himself. That was terrifying. Yet, at the same time, almost a relief.

The last two months had been a series of emotional ups and downs. Mostly ups, if she was honest with herself. And the downs were infrequent enough that they hadn't truly bothered her. Or worried her. Well, not in the sense that it normally would with a new relationship. The worries didn't arise from a fear of incompatibility. Rather, she worried about Zelos' erratic behavior. His tendencies to flip from happiness to anger in the blink of an eye. Not anger with her. Never with her. But with situations, or people. And occasionally he would be rude, or lewd, taking a particular innuendo a bit too far, usually with herself. Those had particularly made her angry, like the one at Colette's party the evening before.

Now she knew why. There had been something inside Zelos the whole time.

"Sheena? Are you okay?" a voice called behind her.

The ninja turned to see Colette walking towards her, hands behind her back. They stood out in the courtyard of Lloyd and Dirk's house, the full moon shining down on them.

Sheena sighed. "I'm...confused."

"About Zelos?"

"Something like that."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sheena crossed her arms over her chest. Did she want to talk about it? Certainly, she didn't want to burden Colette with her feelings, but it was so hard to keep them inside.

"I knew there was something going on with him, I just didn't know what. He's been acting strange, ever since we went and saw Martel a few months ago." She thought back to their trip to see the Summon Spirit and the new World Tree. That was when Sheena had first learned about Zelos' encounter down in the Ggate. Shortly after, the ex-Chosen had gotten violently sick, vomiting every few minutes. _Maybe it had something to do with seeing Martel and the tree..._

"Well, now you know what it was that was affecting him, right? That he wasn't just being weird?"

"I guess. It does help to know now what was influencing his behavior. But..." She trailed off. She was too afraid to say it out loud. She was too afraid to find out if it were true or not.

"How long have you known Zelos?"

Confused, the raven-haired woman answered, "About six years."

"And how long have you been friends?"

That was tough question. She'd found him annoying for much of that time, but when had she really started to see what was behind the mask? Her memory floated to an encounter they had one night in Meltokio. Zelos had been sitting alone in front of the palace gates, looking up at the stars. Sheena had just left the palace after a late night meeting with King Ferdinand and Princess Hilda regarding some secret intelligence she had procured. She had spotted Zelos and decided to ask him what he was doing. That had resulted in a long, contemplative conversation where he had shared the truth of his childhood. Surprised by his candor, Sheena remembered sharing with him her own difficulties growing up as an orphan in the village of Mizuho. When she had departed, the ninja remembered feeling as though some bond had sprouted between the two of them.

"I'd say three years."

"And do you think he's been honest with you? Do you think you know the kind of person he is?"

"I think so."

Colette's nose twitched. "Sheena, I think you need to have a little faith."

"What do you mean?"

"Seles is right. Zelos has made mistakes in the past. But we all know that he would do anything for each of us." Colette moved and wrapped Sheena in a hug. "He's going to be okay."

Sheena bit her lip as she returned Colette's hug. Would he really be? Martel, she hoped so.

Colette stepped away and smiled. "I believe that we'll find a way to save him." The High Priestess squeezed her hands and then went back into the house, leaving Sheena to her thoughts.

The young woman turned away from the house and closed her eyes. Ratatosk had been living inside Zelos for almost eight months before making his presence known. But according to Kratos, the summon spirit had most likely been taking control of his mind and body slowly over that time.

The forbidden question trembled on her lips. What if Zelos had never truly cared for her romantically? What if it all had been a ruse of Ratatosk's? Sheena shook her head. What purpose would that have served?

But it didn't make her feel better. The anxiety lingered.

On the other hand, she may never know. She may never have the opportunity to speak to Zelos again. The Zelos she knew, not the jokester he pretended to be. And that crushed her heart. Tears swelled in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her sides.

Her thoughts drifted to their last conversation. Kratos had called Zelos to the house in the morning and he tried to engage her in conversation, but she had still been pissed about his behavior at Colette's party. He'd apologized again, and kissed her on the cheek. Begrudgingly, she'd hugged him and said 'be careful'. Oh goddess, why couldn't she have said more? Why couldn't she have put aside her anger? Was that the last thing he would remember of her? Was that the last thing he remembered?

She couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears poured down her cheeks and she covered her face with her hands to smother the sounds of her crying. All the despair, anger, sadness, and confusion poured out of her like a waterfall. All the 'what ifs', the 'should haves', the 'hope tos' escaped her mouth as she gasped and attempted to quiet the sobs.

Was he truly gone?

* * *

Anger didn't even begin to cover what she was feeling. It was a redness that clawed in her gut and bellowed. Her eyes stared into the fire, not seeing the orange and yellow flames that licked the air. Two months of traveling, filling her senses, feeling out her new limbs had convinced her that she was fully rooted in her new body. That she was in total control and understood her strengths and weaknesses. But clearly that was not the case. She had underestimated her fighting abilities. As proved by the battle in Welgaia, she was still subpar.

Heat flashed through her body and she felt the urge to scream. Emotions she was still getting used to, still understanding their natures and provocateurs. But she recognized this one. This...this was rage. Perhaps this was the one emotion she was sure of, having felt it for much of her life since Lloyd and the others had freed her from the paralysis of her exsphere and returned her humanity.

But she knew it was different. It wasn't the anger she had experienced against Farley. Or even Regal. No, it was a deeper emotion, tied with a tinge of something blue...It made her want to hide away from the world. It made her feel anger towards herself. Flipping through dictionary definitions in her mind, Presea identified the emotion: shame.

Why wasn't she able to wield her axe like she had in the past? Her tiny body was smaller, and she had only been armed with an exsphere. But now, with a Cruxis Crystal, she was stronger, faster. She was physically superior in every way and yet she still lacked control over her body.

"Presea, did you see Raine?"

The pink-haired woman turned to see Yuan approaching her. She was sitting in a cozy green armchair next to the fireplace in the inn's common room. He took a seat opposite of her and she turned her face back to the fire.

"Yes. She determined the injuries were not lethal and performed a healing spell on myself. I feel fine."

Physically, that was.

"Your injuries said otherwise."

"Please do not attempt a lecture, Yuan. I took care of myself long before I met you." She said levelly. She could feel the anger attempting to rake down the calm, passive exterior.

"I never said you couldn't. You just don't know the limits of your body yet."

"Again. An obvious truth of which I am aware."

"If you obeyed my orders, you wouldn't have gotten whacked by that giant."

"Need I remind you I am no longer one of your operatives?"

"Oh, you've made that quite clear by up and disappearing."

"I needed to be by myself. I thought you understood."

"I would have if you bothered to let me know instead of being gone one day."

"I wasn't aware that I needed to keep you apprised of my every move." Her voice was low and flat, emotionless save for the type of words she used.

Silence.

The young woman watched him, carefully keeping her face blank. It was an odd bond the two of them had. Their partnership had struck up through a bargain: Presea would become an operative if Yuan would find a way to give her her true body. They had worked closely together for a year. He had taught her everything she needed to know about surveillance, investigation, undercover work. In turn, she had given him the intel he needed to follow the movements of various cells across Sylvarant that would eventually turn into the Erinyes terrorist organization. In the time she had been undercover, he had been the only person she could speak to that new her true identity. Their conversations occasionally strayed from mission updates. Sometimes he would share his concerns about history repeating itself. Sometimes she would express confusion about the people she was investigating.

And then everything had changed. The Erinyes were eradicated. And she finally had her true body. The terms of the contract had been met on either side. But she didn't know where that left them.

She hypothesized he didn't know either.

"You shouldn't be fighting until you get your skills back." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. The half elf narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'll decide what I do."

"Stop being stubborn."

"If I need your help, I will ask for it."

Presea stood and walked out of the common room and up the stairs, not looking back. She felt her skin prickle as she walked into her room and shut the door behind her. A flame burst to life in her chest. Now she was angry at him and herself. He believed she was weak and couldn't exist on her own. Hadn't she proved time and time again her capabilities? Her quick thinking? Her abilities as a fighter? Why should he question it now? It infuriated her. His commands infuriated her.

Yet, on the opposite side, she felt a cold shadow pass over her. He was right: she needed to do something to regain her strength and skills. As Presea sat down on the bed and began to unlace her boots, thoughts swirled around in her head. Deep down, she knew there was a doubt. A doubt of how her body had changed. She had fooled herself; she though she understood it. She thought she understood its abilities, its secrets, but they still eluded her. Would she be able to reclaim her body in time to fight this new enemy? The young woman didn't know.

But she had to try. If they were going to fight Ratatosk, she would not allow herself to be sidelined.

Something clicked in the back of her mind. She needed to put her skills to the test. Over and over again. Repetition was a proven way to create muscle memory. It could also expose new abilities. And she knew exactly where she could do that.

* * *

It was about three in the morning when he heard a door open and close out in the hallway. Silently, Regal rose from his bed and crept to his door, listening to the light padding of footsteps down the corridor. As he heard them retreat down the stairwell, he opened his own door and looked out, catching a glimpse of a white dress and red hair.

 _Seles._

He followed her, taking great care to make no noise as he walked to the end of the hall and down the stairs. The blue-haired man peeked around the corner to see Seles carrying her bag in hand, exiting the inn. Where was she heading to in the middle of the night? Clearly, she was not interested in saying goodbyes.

Sneaking over to the window, Regal watched her through the crystal glass as she loaded up her reihard. Before getting on, she took out her holocom, looking intently at it. There was some sort of message she had received. Was that why she was leaving?

Then she put it in her pocket. She hoped onto the reihard, turned it on, and gunned the engine. Without a glance back, she took off into the night sky.

 _Where is she going?_


	6. Too Many Questions, Not Enough Answers

**A/N** : Hello, hello! I'm back! Very excited to get back to this. _IF you've read the first five chapters, please go back and re-read them_ as I've adjusted a few things (though the main plot points have remained the same). Alright, let's move onward!

* * *

An eery silence had settled over Iselia when the group of friends convened at Dirk's home the following morning. Birds did not call to each other, the wind did not whistle through the branches of the pine trees; it was as if the world knew what escaped and had quieted in fear of the imminent massacre of its people. Looking up at the cloudy sky through the dusty window pane, Kratos speculated on what was to come as the sounds of conversation hummed in his ears, the intonations of the voices rising and falling in degrees that indicated anxiety in their owners. There was no doubt that defeating Miguel had been a huge achievement, but it was a small victory at best now that they were faced with the reality of a much larger, more dangerous opponent. With Ratatosk free in Aselia, hellbent on destruction, there seemed little hope for challenging the summon spirit, much less defeating him.

"Is everyone present?" A voice called, cutting through the noise, crisp and clear, demanding for order.

Kratos turned to see Raine walking into the large living room for the kitchen, a steaming mug in hand. Her hair was pinned messily in a bun and there were traces of darkness beneath her eyes, but the straightness of her spine and severity of her gaze immediately brought all to attention. The angel smiled inwardly. It was her experience as Chair that had given her this stage presence; he'd watched it in the months that he'd accompanied her on official business. He was pleased that she continued to wear the well deserved confidence she'd cultivated in the two months they had been separated.

 _You left_.

The inward smile disappeared and a scowl replaced it on his face for all to see. The reminder was callous, but true. While it wasn't a decision he'd made lightly, it had been a necessary one.

"Not entirely. Seles is gone." Regal said from his position against the far wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. His blue hair fell casually over his shoulders though the lines of his face were somber.

"Oh no! Where did she go?" Colette gasped from her seat on the sofa, a frown spread across her delicate features.

"I do not know. I only saw her sneak out of the inn early this morning."

"And you didn't go after her?" Yuan snapped, a few feet away from Kratos.

"I assumed she needed space to think. But she has not returned. Her rheaird is missing."

"I hope she's okay." Colette whispered, wringing her hands. Silently, Lloyd closed his fingers around hers and gave her a reassuring smile. If anything good had come out of the episode with the Erinyes, it was that Lloyd and Colette and finally connected on a romantic level. Though Kratos would never express such a thought aloud.

"If she wishes to be alone, we should leave her be." Presea interjected from her seat opposite of Colette. Her hands were neatly folded in her lap and her pink hair bound in a ponytail trailing down her back.

"Even so, she's unstable. A potential liability."

Kratos eyed his friend wearily, but Yuan ignored him. This was dangerous territory, especially with emotions so high, but he could not control Yuan's tongue anymore than he could control the seas.

"Why would you think that?" Sheena challenged, scooting to the edge of the sofa next to Presea.

"She could engage Ratatosk. Make a deal with him in a misguided attempt to help Zelos."

"Seles wouldn't do that!" Colette cried.

"We don't know that." Yuan brushed his blue ponytail over his shoulder nonchalantly. "We need to take precautions."

"We don't even know where she's gone." Sheena pointed out.

"There's a tracking devices on her rheaird. We can follow her movements."

"What?" Presea questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"All rheaird have GPS locators. They are expensive equipment." Yuan responded.

"That is privacy infringement."

"And? We know where Seles is headed."

"Do not think the ends justify the means."

The two angels stared daggers at each other, the tension feeling the air between them. Kratos sighed. This was clearly no longer about Seles.

He flashed his eyes at Raine, who gave an imperceptible nod in his direction.

"Moving on. Regal and Sheena. You are returning to Tethe'alla, correct? Why don't you go after Seles and make sure she's alright?" The half elf suggested.

They nodded in agreement.

"Now, for the matter at hand. What do we know about Ratatosk? Besides that he's a summon spirit?" Cocking an eyebrow, Raine shifted her gaze towards the two Seraphim, the piercing blue of her eyes inviting them to speak. Kratos had not forgotten the intensity of her stare; a shiver ran up his spine.

"He was the last summon spirit Mithos made a pact with, before sealing Origin." He shrugged.

"After, that's when things spiraled." Yuan snorted.

"Does Ratatosk have any weaknesses? Elemental or otherwise?" Raine asked.

Closing his eyes, Kratos wracked his brain for an answer. The memories of the initial meeting with Ratatosk were spotty. These days, time constantly reminded him that it was slowly wearing him down, making him the older man he ought to be. He swore under his breath. Nonetheless, the angel pushed through the cobwebs of his mind and dove into the past he wished to forget.

 _It had been dark when they reached the Great Kharlan Tree. Rain poured down and lightening tore through the sky. Yuan draped his robe around a shivering Martel and she thanked him in her melodic voice. Water had soaked through Kratos' armor, chilling him to the bone. How they would get back to town and rest by a fire, he did not know. But at the moment, it didn't matter. All that did was this final pact._

 _"Ready?" Kratos murmured._

 _Mithos turned and nodded, forcing a smile, though Kratos could see the tremble in the young half elf's shoulders. Taking a breath, Mithos walked forward towards the tree, Kratos by his side._

 _Stopping about ten feet away, Mithos called out: "Great Kharlan Tree! I am here to make a Pact with your Guardian!"_

 _Silence._

 _Clearing his throat, Mithos tried once more: "Summon Spirit! Hear my request. I wish to ma—"_

 _"I heard you the first time."_

 _Eyes wide, Mithos took a step back, looking left and right. Kratos wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword._

 _Out of the air, a being materialized. It was a man...or something like a man. Two large horns protruded from his forehead; his eyes were a deep red; a black tail wrapped itself around his waist. Black tattoos snaked up his arms and across his naked chest, all the way to the top of his neck. The black pants he wore stuck to his pale body, and his feet were left bare._

 _Floating in the air, he called out, "I am Ratatosk. Summon Spirit and Guardian of the Great Kharlan Tree."_

 _"I am Mithos Yggdrasill. And I would like to ma—"_

 _"A Pact. Yadayadayada. And why should I do that with you?" He folded his arms over his chest, eyes flaming as thunder boomed overhead._

 _"I want to save the world. I am going to save the world. But I need your help."_

 _Ratatosk glared at the half elf, then swept his eyes over his companions. Kratos tensed under his gaze, but did not move._

 _"Who are these people?"_

 _"My sister, Martel. Yuan Ka-Fai of Sylvarant. Kratos Aurion of Tethe'alla. They have agreed to help my cause."_

 _"Interesting. What a rag-tag team you have."_

 _Ratatosk dropped to the ground and sauntered over, locking eyes with the young half elf. Out of the corner of his eye, Kratos saw Mithos shiver, but he held his ground. A warmth bloomed in the older man's chest. Despite fear, Mithos continued to stand for his beliefs against utmost adversity._

 _"Alright. I will make a pact with you to save the world. But I need more."_

 _"More?"_

 _"You will promise me one thing: that you will protect this tree at all costs. If the tree dies, so does the world. I do not care what you need to do, what is at stake. You MUST protect my tree."_

 _Hesitating, Mithos said, "Of course."_

 _"Boy. Do not make promises you will not keep." Ratatosk's eyes narrowed. "Do you swear by your mother and father and the on the graves of those that come after you to do such a thing?"_

 _"I swear it."_

 _The summon spirit extended his hand. Gracefully, the young half elf took it. Ratatosk's tail ensnared the clasped hands, tightening at the wrists. Mithos gasped. Kratos began to pull the sword from its scabbard._

 _"Stop, human." Ratatosk hissed, not taking his eyes off the hand he held in his._

 _The tail glowed green._

 _"I, Ratatosk, pledge my powers as Summon Spirit and Guardian of the Tree to you, Mithos Yggdrasill. By this bond, I lend my strength to bringing this world back from the brink of destruction. By this bond, you honor your promise to protect the Great Kharlan Tree, no matter the cost."_

 _The tail turned white, slowly releasing the two hands._

 _"So mote it be."_

 _Fully released, Mithos took a step backward, rubbing his wrist._

 _"You may call upon me with Summon: Gaia." He sneered. "Now go. I have things to do."_

 _Then he turned and disappeared._

"Kratos?"

Raine's voice pulled him back to the present from his reverie.

"Does he have any weaknesses?"

The angel shook his head. "None we are aware of."

"That is troubling." Regal concurred.

Raine and Regal exchanged a look of agreement and Kratos felt a small fire lick his insides. Tempering it, he redirected his gaze towards Yuan.

"I will go see Martel. Presea will come with me." Yuan said.

"No. I will accompany Regal and Sheena back to Tethe'alla. There is business I must attend to." Presea countered, her eyes filled with defiance.

Once again, the two locked in a silent struggle of wills.

Clearing her throat, Raine addressed the group: "Sheena. Could you speak with Kate about her research regarding summon spirits once you arrive in Tethe'alla?"

Sheena wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Fine."

"I could go see Verius. Maybe he knows something?" Lloyd piped up. Colette beamed, squeezing his hand, which in turn caused the young man to smile as well.

"That's a good idea. Kratos, you should accompany him."

The older angel raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded. He saw the slightest smirk in Raine's gaze before her eyes left his. Clearly she had not forgotten their previous discussion. He didn't know whether to be vexed or grateful.

"What about me?" Genis asked, his arms folded over his chest as he lounged next to the two lovebirds on the couch.

"You'll go back to school."

"What? Can't I go help Lloyd?"

"No. You need to continue your studies until there's more we can do."

"Raine—"

"This is not a discussion."

Genis huffed and fell silent, giving his older sister a death glare. She ignored it.

"I'll be heading back to Arkylia to share the news of Miguel's death with the Convention. But I will not share this incident with Ratatosk. There is no reason to create widespread panic. As we learn more about Ratatosk, we must maintain contact, as I don't know when we will next be altogether. If you hear of anything helpful, share it over the holocoms. Speed is of the utmost importance, especially since we don't know what he is planning."

A silent agreement met her words.

Minutes later, the companions began to leave, walking in clumps back towards town, soon to disperse into different directions with the threat of world destruction hanging overhead. Walking into the garden, Kratos knelt down and began scratching Noishe behind his ears.

"What do you think about all this?"

Noishe whined.

"I thought this was over too."

The creature yipped, his meaning translating only for Kratos.

"I'm not leaving. At least, not until this is dealt with."

The Protozoan growled and pushed into the angel's hand.

"It's not good, is it?"

Raine knelt beside him and began petting the animal as well.

Noishe purred at the attention, flopping onto his stomach.

"No." Kratos replied.

"I assume because Ratatosk is older, he is more powerful as well."

"As the Summon Spirit of the Great Kharlan Tree, he has different powers than the others. He has the power to regulate mana like Martel."

"But he can't do that without the tree though."

"No. But two entities with the same purpose will change the balance."

Raine said nothing, continuing to pet the animal. He gave her a side glance, noting the tiny squint in her eyes; she was thinking. Her mind was always at work.

"What was it like...having Origin's Seal inside you?"

Though his face remained blank, he was surprised.

"It was painful."

It was an understatement. Taking in the seal and felt like his body was ripped in two. There had been voices in his head and no way to drown them out.

"Over time it became a dull ache. Then went away altogether." He paused. "I don't know if that's Zelos' experience if that's what you're asking."

"Origin never tried to take over your body."

"No."

They stared at each other, neither saying anything. Frankly, he didn't know what to say. But she began to open her mouth, her eyes alight with a message, then stopped.

Instead, she stood and dusted her hands off on her coat.

A pang of disappointment reverberated through him and he stood. What had she wanted to say?

"Enjoy your time with Lloyd." Raine smiled.

"Thank you."

He gave her a small bow and she departed, walking away from the cabin, towards the forest and out of sight. As he watched her figure disappear into the greenery, a small part of him whispered to go after her and apologize for his sudden departure two months ago. Instead, he pushed these thoughts away and turned into the house.

* * *

"So...I guess I'll see you later." Lloyd said as he tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels.

It was just before noon. He and Colette stood together outside the High Priestess' home, next to her rheaird. Lloyd had known she would leave just after her birthday party. Nonetheless, he had been happy when he'd heard two weeks ago that she'd needed to be in Iselia for responsibilities as High Priestess. While it hadn't been uninterrupted time, it was enough for him to have dinner with her every other night, to be able to take a walk with her occasionally to the peninsula, and visit her in the town Church.

But now Colette had to travel to Triet for Church business. The young man wanted to go with her, but that was not possible.

"Yeah."

Holding her hands in front of her, she attempted a smile but her eyes drooped. Golden hair and delicate features shining in the sun, she looked the part of an angel. His angel. All he wanted to do was hold her close.

"Hey, we're gonna talk every day, okay? We can text each other, and if you want, we can call each other when you're not busy." He said, taking her hands in his and giving them a squeeze.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

They smiled at each other as silence fell over their conversation. Frantically, Lloyd searched his brain for something to say, anything at all to prolong the time they had left. It was stupid, but even just one more minute made all the difference to him.

"I'm sorry I have to go." She whispered.

"What? Don't be. This is important. What you're doing is important."

"If you need me though, please don't wait to tell me."

Lloyd hesitated. "Colette..."

"Promise? I would hate it if I weren't there to help you with... _anything_." She took a step towards him, wrapping him in a hug. "Okay?"

"Alright." He encircled her torso with his arms and planted a kiss on the top of her head. Seconds passed and they remained intertwined in their embrace. Shifting her face upward, Colette looked into Lloyd's eyes. He smiled and brought his face towards hers, laying a kiss upon her lips. A tingle of joy ran through his veins and he kissed her again.

Finally, the young woman stepped away and his arms fell to his sides.

"See you soon, Lloyd."

"Have a great trip, Colette."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

Scooting onto her rheaird, the High Priestess waved and rose into the sky. Hovering for a few moments, she smiled at him, the same smile that she wore every day; the smile that comforted him at night when everything in his world felt overwhelming and uncertain. Then she was gone, flying upward, becoming smaller and smaller until she disappeared into the clouds.

Sighing, Lloyd trekked home through the forest, mind whirling with thoughts of Colette, and Ratatosk, and—

"You sure you don't wanna go with her?" Dirk asked, interrupting.

Lloyd jerked his head up as he reached the porch to the cabin.

"No, Dad. I want to stay here with you."

"Oh yeah. Takin' care of yer old man is exactly what you wanna be doin'."

"That's not fair."

Dirk's face softened and he laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "I just don't want you to be missin' the important stuff 'cause of me."

"I'm not. I promise."

The dwarf looked unconvinced, but Lloyd held his ground. He didn't want his dad to feel bad. It was hard enough for Dirk already. The last think Lloyd wanted was the dwarf to feel guilty on top of it all. Regardless of how he felt being separated from Colette, Lloyd wanted to be there for his father. Especially when his sickness wasn't getting any better.

"How 'bout some stew?"

"Sure. I can make it." Lloyd grinned as they headed inside.

"Nah, I'll do it."

"But—"

"You still haven't mastered the special recipe."

"It's just stew."

"Dwarven Vow #5: the more you add, the worse it gets."

"Hey! I think adding spicy peppers makes it better!"

With a chuckle, Dirk set to work at the stove. Lloyd grinned and took up a spot at the kitchen counter, grabbing and chopping vegetables.

* * *

It seemed like the morning meeting had happened days ago, though in reality it had only been hours. Only minutes before, Raine dropped Genis off at the Academy and departed for to Arkylia (she had another two hours to travel; annoyingly, she had insisted on accompanying him home even though he could get to Palmacost just fine on his own). As Genis trudged up the stairs to his dorm room, his mind reeled. The idea of a vengeful spirit wanting to kill everyone was terrifying. More than that. Shuddering, he put his key in the lock and turned. He'd really only begun his life and didn't want it to be cut short. Not yet. Not when there were still things he wanted to learn, places he wanted to go, dishes he wanted to cook and eat (it was silly, but true).

Flopping down on his bed, he turned over and stared at the ceiling. Exhaling, he closed his eyes. They'd done this before, come up against a really powerful enemy and won. Mithos had been scary, even though Genis understood why the half elf had been angry. He was too, especially after what happened with the Erinyes. His face scrunched together at the mental images of Miguel and Shiro holding his sister hostage, hurting her and threatening tons of innocent people if they decided to give half elves equality. Regardless, Genis and his friends had dismantled the organization, and the two leaders were now dead. Good riddance. Surely that meant they could win against Ratatosk.

 _But he's a summon spirit._

Fear rippled through him. He needed a distraction.

Jumping up, Genis grabbed his books and rushed out of his room, heading straight for the library. He'd catch up on the homework he'd missed from going to Colette's birthday. After all, he bet there was a good chance that Professor Atwell would have a pop quiz the next day just to spite the half elf for missing class. The adolescent rolled his eyes as he sat down. Biology was his worst subject, and having a racist prick for a teacher didn't make it any better.

A few hours rolled by, and eventually the teenager looked up from his papers. Rubbing his eyes, he surveyed the room. A few upperclassmen worked quietly a couple of tables to his right, and a small study group reviewed notes to his left. All humans. He was still one of the few half elves at the Academy, even after two years of attending. There were ten of them out of a student body of 500; it was infuriating. In the past six months, the Academy had begun a concentrated effort to recruit half elves to apply, but numbers were slow to increase. Secretly, Genis believed the efforts were all for show. Anger began to simmer in his stomach, but he doused it immediately. He didn't want to think about that now.

Putting his chin in his palm, the young half elf allowed his thoughts to drift back towards Ratatosk. What did the summon spirit look like outside of Zelos' body? Summon spirits were responsible for balancing the flow of mana across the world, but if Ratatosk didn't have a tree to manage, what would he do (assuming he stopped his homicidal rampage)?

Too many questions and not enough answers. How were they going to beat him and rescue Zelos if they knew nothing about Ratatosk?

The question stuck to the walls of his mind as his eyes glazed over and he looked at nothing in particular. Moments passed, but no ideas came to him.

 _What if...?_

Genis stood and meandered over to the nearest computer terminal. Pressing a few keys to wake the machine from self-induced sleep, the half elf blinked as a shiny blue light illuminated the screen. Maneuvering to the search application, he typed: RATATOSK.

The screen remained blank.

Grimacing, he paused and searched again: SUMMON SPIRITS.

A huge list appeared on the screen, scrolling infinitesimally. That wasn't surprising. Or helpful. He didn't really want to go through a hundred books to find something on Ratatosk.

Scrunching his forehead, he typed: SUMMON SPIRITS + NIFLHEIM.

Three titles turned up.

Excitement bubbled up inside the young boy. Maybe he had discovered something that would help. As the list came off the printer, Genis grabbed it and hurried towards the rows of bookcases. His eyes scanned over the page at the labels he would find them under and weaved through the various stacks. Eyes searching for the correct numbers, he passed shelves over shelves. He darted down the many corridors and eventually was lead to the back of the library, doing his best to stay silent.

Finally, he came face to face with a sign above a roped off staircase spiraling downward:

THE ROBERTSON LIBRARY: FOR VOLUMES 0.00678 - 1.0000.

His eyes widened: this was where they kept the really old books. Old books that needed to be taken care of, as well as those books deemed 'potentially dangerous' (whatever that meant). He needed permission to access the books. Technically.

 _Screw it._

Genis ducked under the rope and dashed down the staircase.


	7. Ruminations

He could feel her, and she him. It was warm, her presence. Intoxicating. He wanted to feel more of it. More of her. It felt...familiar. Companionship. The tendrils of it reached out and stroked his mind. He groaned and reached back out, grasping her. For a moment.

 _NO._

He ripped away, thrust it out and locked himself up. Clamped it down.

Letting her in was dangerous. He'd almost dropped his guard. Giving in would be the death of him.

 _Abominable._

But he wanted her. He wanted her since she first touched his being. It had been a question. A desire to know. But if she knew...

He snarled and curled his hands into fists.

He hadn't anticipated this. He hadn't even known she existed. None of it.

She was too inviting. He had to be careful. Careful of her. Careful of them. No one was on his side. They wanted to stop him, he knew that. And he would not be stopped. He would do what he had come to do...

 _I don't need them._

 _Yes._

 _I can crush them._

On his own, he had the power of half of them. And them some.

That was, when he was at his height.

Looking down, he evaluated his injuries. They had begun to seal. Slowly, but it was something.

He spat.

The world had moved on. Moved on without him and now he had to deal with what was left. And he would dole out consequences to those who still remained. And to all of those who had come after. Those who did not know what pain they had caused him. Humans, Half Elves, Elves.

 _BASTARDS_.

He reached out, trying to feel, something, anything. The presence he had been tied to for thousands of years. But nothing. Blackness.

A scream ripped through his throat; a howl of pain.

 _THEY WILL PAY._

"Hello? Is anyone in there? Elsa?"

There was a movement outside.

The house had been dark. Shuttered when he found it in the dead of night. A good hiding spot to heal before continuing on his journey. He had assumed that the owners were gone.

Another assumption that would get him killed before he even started. Unacceptable.

The door creaked open and a face poked inside.

Silently, he prowled forward.

"Andrea? I'm coming in."

A man walked in and looked around.

He creeped around the intruder. The man was tall, a little bit of a hunch in his shoulders.

A tremble in the man's hands.

Fire erupted in his gut.

 _Yes._

The man flicked on the lights, turned and saw him.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Andrea's house?"

"Staying the night, of course."

"She didn't say anything about having a visitor..."

"Must've slipped her mind."

He began to advance towards the unwanted guest. He could smell the fear wafting off the man. Stimulating.

"You don't belong here. Get out!"

"That doesn't matter now."

He bared his teeth; licked his lips. The man took a step back.

His blood began to warm.

It called to him: the need, the hunger, the desire.

He cackled.

"Gods I have missed this."

And he lunged.

* * *

It felt strange to be back in Arkylia considering everything that had transpired in the past 48 hours, and a sleepless night only contributed to her growing anxiety. The hustle and bustle of the city during her morning walk to the Convention building was claustrophobic; the pit in her stomach grew larger with each step. Although Raine brought them good news, it was not enough to take her mind off of Ratatosk, the enigma that moved in the dark. Where was he now? What was he planning? Would they even have a chance to stop him before he destroyed everything?

If that were his scheme. That was the only thing she could assume at this point, considering the evidence of the angels' encounter with him. From the description that had been provided, Ratatosk was no longer sane. And a being of immense power out of his mind was terrifying.

Stopping in the midst of the crowd, the woman took a deep breath, feeling the bodies push around her, headed for their respective destinations. Silently, she watched. They had no idea what was happening, what was coming. One could say that ignorance was bliss. But not her. There was no point in rose-colored glasses, not when something had to be done.

Even if there were no hope, Raine would want to know. All knowledge was valuable.

 _Hopefully Martel will have answers._

Exhaling, Raine entered the grand Convention building. Greeting the receptionist, she ascended the stairs towards her office, exchanging pleasantries those she passed. Though a few wished to engage her in conversation, she politely declined. There was work to be done before the Assembly Meeting, and it would require all of her attention. Thankfully.

Kratos.

Unbidden, his image popped up to the forefront of her mind. Now, he was a subject of thought she definitely did not have time for. The half elf did not have the mental energy to devote to the angel: his face, his deep eyes, the warmth in his quiet voice. She'd had her chance to ask why he'd left, but had not. It was a wise decision, and she prided herself on not giving in to such a childish desire. There was no reason to create unnecessary drama. Now was not the time to reflect on past feelings. Irrational ones at best.

She shoved him to the back of her mind.

As Raine took a seat at her desk, her eyes glossed over the documents left for her by her secretary, Keira. A trade order for coffee products between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla to be signed; a missive from the Mayor of Asgard indicating his regrets to not be available to attend the Assembly Meeting (this was a surprise as she expected him to declare his candidacy for the Chair. Not that she wanted him to though; there were much better candidates, but he was also not the worst option); the budget for the Convention to approve for the following year (though in all honesty this should be discussed with the new Chair before undergoing approval). And of course, a stack of paperwork regarding election procedures.

Uncorking her pen, Raine studied the first document and dove head first into election logistics. After all, she'd been the one to propose such a thing; it now fell to her to ensure its success.

An hour later, a knock on the door jolted her out of her concentration.

Grumbling, the woman pushed her papers to the side of the desk. Straightening herself and folding her hands over one another, she assumed an air of formality and called out, "Come in."

Opening the door and passing into the office was Neil, Governor-General of Palmacosta. A responsible young man, Raine commended his resilience in keeping the coastal town stable considering the terrorist attack only a month ago. Though optimistic, he did not dismiss reality, and was always able to make compromises when needed. He was, in fact, one of her favorite politicians to work.

"Chair. It is good to see you back. I hope you had a good trip?"

"Thank you and I did." She gestured for him to take a seat. "What can I do for you? Especially considering we are meeting with everyone in a few minutes?"

He cleared his throat and tucked his hands into his pockets, not taking the offered seat.

Adrenaline spiked through her veins.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not...necessarily."

"There's no need to beat around the bush, Neil."

"Well...the Convention wants you to make an endorsement. Today."

"And why do I need to do that?" She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into her chair.

The young man sighed.

"Because they want to hold the election in three weeks."

Raine raised her eyebrows. Were they serious? What could be motivating this request?

"That's impractical. Regardless of the fact that people need more time to make an informed decision, the logistics of it are impossible. We need a month at minimum."

"That's not the only thing."

"There's more?"

She'd only been away for three days and it appeared things had gotten out of hand. Somehow, Raine was not surprised. An instant of doubt clouded her mind, but she brushed it away.

"This." Neil procured a flyer from his pocket and laid it on the desk in front of her.

Her eyes widened at the headline:

RE-ELECT RAINE SAGE FOR CHAIR OF SYLVARANT!

She scanned the flyer's text: reasons why she needed to be reelected, a list of her accomplishments, and mention of her connections with various Tethe'allan politicians.

At the bottom, in tiny letters, as if trying not to be seen, was: "Paid for the All Races Coalition for Raine Sage".

This was mildly alarming. Who was behind this, and why?

She highly doubted that it was to get her reelected.

"I did not authorize this. I do not want to be reelected." Raine looked up at the Governor-General, her face neutral.

"I know that, but the rest of the Convention has questions now."

"Do we know anything about this coalition?"

"They only started putting these out yesterday. I haven't seen for myself who has been distributing them." He gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about all this. I just wanted to give you a heads up before you get pelted with questions."

"I appreciate that, Neil. Thank you."

He gave her a small bow and turned to leave.

"Neil, before you go."

"Yes, Chair?"

"Do you want it? Do you want to be Chair?"

Neil hesitated. "To be honest, I don't know. There is still much to do with Palmacosta. But I understand that the Chair is a position of immense responsibility, dedicated to the well-being of all Sylvaranti. I would be...honored to have such a position"

Raine nodded and the man disappeared. Neil was well fit for the office: intelligent, likable, a good record in Palmacosta. But he made a fair point. The seaside city was still recovering. If he became Chair, the citizens could feel as though their leader were abandoning them. It was a tricky situation.

But being Chair would be for the benefit of all of Sylvarant.

 _The needs of many versus the needs of a few._

Turning her attention back to the flyer, the woman sighed. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Her injury, the election, Ratatosk, and now this.

What would he think of all this?

 _Gods._

The stoic angel appeared in her brain once more, unwilling to drift away. Why did she care what Kratos thought? If anything, he would simply shrug and say it was up to her to figure out what to do. Or, he would volunteer to investigate, which would have provided her a little relief. Or he simply would have investigated without her permission, which would be both infuriating and well-received.

But that was impossible. He was not here. And she should not be thinking of his help at all. Thinking about Kratos like this; she was acting like a school girl. Seeing him once and now all of...this. It was detestable. She was better than that.

 _Focus._

Right now the woman had to quiet a room of outraged politicians and whip them into shape. The election would occur in a month and a half, no earlier. And they would understand she had no intention whatsoever of staying in her position despite who was making claims for otherwise.

Taking out her orange pill bottle, she knocked back one tablet. Having an episode in the middle of an Assembly meeting was unthinkable. For the past two months, Raine had successfully kept her injury a secret from almost everyone, with the exception of her doctor, Keira, and now...Kratos (she inwardly groaned at the thought). Rising from her desk, the half elf walked to her mirror and straightened out her pantsuit, ensuring no hair was out of place.

Raine was going to battle. And she would win.

* * *

Muscles tightened in his face as the half elf landed at the World Tree Temple. Heart thumping in his chest, Yuan prepared himself for the coming conversation. It didn't matter that he had been visited before a few times (though he avoided coming as much as possible). Each and every time meant he had to, once again, face the love he had lost. Somewhere inside the summon spirit, a tiny part of Martel's consciousness dwelled. But he could not touch it. He could not feel her. She was lost forever.

And two years ago he had lost her all over again.

 _Dammit._

A wash of regret flooded through him and he cursed under his breath. The same regret that haunted him since the day his beloved had died.

 _Not died._

 _Murdered._

An image of the dagger flashed in his mind; he could feel the warm blood on his hands. Her gasps. Her sputtering. Trying to get out one last word.

 _Enough._

Gritting his teeth, Yuan walked through the golden gate towards where the "goddess" awaited. It was warm; greenery surrounded him every which way: a small forest island in the middle of the ocean between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. The smell of roses reached his nose as he stepped over a cobblestone path swerving deeper into the forest.

Martel rose from her seated position by the tree as he passed through the mist and reached the central grove. Red and yellow roses made a ring around the the Spirit's seat next to the Yggdrasill tree. The World Tree had grown a few inches since he last saw it: a sign it was healthy. A small relief but not enough to dismiss the memories surrounding the history of its birth. With hard eyes, the half elf stared at the tree, a mixture of emotions bubbling within him. Still he only felt anger towards it even after two years, though he knew it was wrong.

Forgiveness wasn't an option.

Once, Martel, his fiancée, had told him to give people the benefit of the doubt. And it had gotten her killed.

"Welcome, Yuan. I hope you are well."

The soft voice of the summon spirit wafted through his ears, bringing him back to the present.

"You know why I'm here."

"Yes. I have felt him." Somberness painted over her porcelain face and the corners of her mouth turned downwards. "When Ratatosk made himself known to you, I felt the wash of mana. Its upheaval in the world's current."

"He's dangerous."

"But you knew Ratatosk was inside Zelos."

"I suspected. That was all."

"Why did you not come to me sooner? To share your suspicions?"

Averting his gaze, the half elf concentrated on the tree. In truth, he did not know why, and it shamed him. All of this could have maybe been prevented if he had told Martel.

Ratatosk escaping...this was his fault.

"Do you know what to do?"

"No. I do not have an answer to this." Martel sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. "I have attempted to reach out to him. I was hoping to speak with him, understand what he wants, but he rebuffs me."

"I'm not surprised." Yuan responded dryly, dragging his eyes back to her.

"He is in pain." Though her face remained sympathetic, her voice admonished the angel.

"Zelos' body was injured in our recent fight."

"Ratatosk's soul is in pain. He is so very angry."

"We know that." Yuan snapped. "Do you know anything that can be done about it?"

The spirit blinked at him, lips creasing into a line of disapproval. Yuan clenched his jaw; he had overstepped. He had to control his temper.

But he was not good at that. Nor did he care to be.

"Defeating Ratatosk will not be easy. But we do not know what he wants, do we?"

"Revenge."

Martel picked up her staff that leaned against the tree. Running her fingers over the ornament at the top, she said, "He could be sealed once more. In a different place though."

"Is there a more permanent option?"

"You want to kill him?"

"If it comes to it."

She touched the tree, stroking its bark. He watched her, feeling his skin crawl, wanting to be anywhere but there.

"If I were to lose my tree...despair would not begin to describe my feelings. Regardless, I cannot condone the act of killing a fellow spirit."

"Even if he wants to destroy the world? You included?"

"Yes." Martel returned her eyes to him and he hardened his gaze. "Summon spirits are not easily extinguished. To do so would require an immense amount of power."

"What about magi-technology?"

"Magi-technology sucks the mana from the earth, not us. We die when there is no more mana in the world. I do not know what sort of force could eliminate us."

"Then we are all lost." Yuan snarled. "Even your _tree_."

Swallowing, Martel hesitated. "Maxwell might know."

A small flame of relief came to life within him. There was...hope.

"Then I will go visit him."

The half elf turned on his heel, eager to leave this abominable paradise.

"Yuan." She called.

Cursing, he stopped, swiveling his head in her direction.

"How is Presea?"

Images of the pink-haired woman flashed before his mind. He scowled. When they parted, it was with terse words and little conversation. Not that he had expected much more. She was angry with him and he with her. She wouldn't listen and claimed he wouldn't either.

What was there to listen to? She was not well enough to be on her own. It was dangerous.

Why had everything changed when she had finally evolved? Before, they had seen eye to eye. And now she was off in Tethe'alla, doing gods knew what. He worr—

 _No._

"She's fine."

"Please."

Something about the ask forced Yuan to let go of a sliver of the frustration he felt; something in the tone softened his heart in the slightest.

"She is struggling still with her strength. I'm trying to help her but she won't listen."

If she wanted to be on her own, then he'd leave her alone.

"Her strength will come in time. She has more than she knows." Turning away from him, Martel began to tend to the tree. "Take care."

And he left.

* * *

Racing through the clouds, Regal gunned his rheaird forward. A day and a half of traveling and they had yet to catch up with Seles. Concerned wasn't the right term to define his emotions. Neither was worried. Seles could take care of herself. But the state that she was in...he wanted to find her and ensure she was safe and unharmed. And not putting herself in unnecessary danger.

Looking down, he watched a small dot blink on the dashboard of the aircraft. The dot had stopped moving an hour and a half ago. It unnerved him; what had made her stop? Had something happened? He almost wanted the dot to move again, for then it would possibly mean she was alright (at least he could assume so). A static dot could mean she was in trouble.

Suddenly, three dots appeared on the screen. It was his aircraft, as well as Sheena's and Presea's.

"We're getting closer." He murmured to himself.

As they sped through the air, Regal looked down at the landscape. They had been traveling over the Fooji Mountains for a good half hour already. Why was she here of all places?

 _Patience._

Twenty minutes later, they landed next to her rheaird, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Spread out." Sheena whispered, brandishing her cards.

Nodding, Presea removed a set of daggers from her pockets and crept away, eyes swerving left and right.

Cautiously, Regal sidestepped down the side of the hill, his eyes and ears alert to any slight movement in his surroundings. The late afternoon sun threatened to begin its descent as the older man made his way through the brown and orange landscape. If they didn't find the High Priestess before nightfall, they would have to retreat to the city and begin the search again in the morning. Which meant Seles could also leave and venture away from Meltokio; they would be forced to resume the chase once more.

That would not be ideal.

He turned down a switchback, casting his eyes off the cliff. The large expanse of mountain ranges stretched out in front of him, salt pans filling the plains in between the heights. Oranges and reds colored the landscape; their sandstone surfaces going on and on for miles.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a movement. Sneaking down, Regal kept himself close to the wall, trying to avoid detection. As he reached the bottom, he saw an opening in the sandstone.

A cave.

From inside, he could hear a series of grunts. And epithets.

Despite himself, he smiled. Classic Seles.

Walking inside, Regal saw her knelt over a hole in the ground, now silent.

"Seles, what are you doing?"

The young woman whipped around, her eyes widened in terror. In her dirtied hands was a dark purple sphere, glowing, its radiance lighting up the woman's face in the darkness.

His gaze sharpened. "What is that?"

"I...I don't know."

"Put it in here." Removing his coat, he folded the cloth and gestured for the orb.

Gasping, Seles let the sphere roll off her palms and onto the coat. Wrapping it in the cloth, Regal covered it, creating his coat into a makeshift bag. He didn't know why, but he did not want to look at it.

"Was this for him? For Ratatosk?"

Seles nodded, guilt passing over her angular features.

"You know we can't trust him." He reached out and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, locking eyes with her. "I'm worried about Zelos as well, but this is not the way to free him."

"I know. I just...I can't imagine something bad happening to him."

"Let's go find the others."

Exiting the cave, the two made their way up the cliffside. In the crook of his arm, he held the makeshift bag containing the orb. It felt abnormally warm; it rattled him but he kept his gaze neutral.

"Did he say anything at all about this?" Regal asked as they reached topside.

"No. He just told me to go to the Fooji Mountains and get it." The young half elf replied, her eyes solemn.

"Has he asked you to do anything else?"

"There's a whole list he gave me." She opened her holocom and showed him. "He said to travel to these locations and get...things. I'm guessing more orbs like this one."

"Hardens Pass. The Grace Cathedral. Oakswood Pass." His brow furrowed. "Do you know where these are?"

"Not in the slightest. I was too afraid to ask him."

"We'll have to figure that out then." Regal said, his brow furrowed. This was troubling. Were these secret names actual locations? Or was it a code?

"I was just lucky that the first one was in the Fooji Mountains." She whispered, wringing her hands. "He can't know that I've told you. Otherwise he'll kill Zelos."

His heart softened. Seles was usually headstrong, not one to be pushed around. Her brother was her only family, and he could die (if he were not gone already). Regal understood that fear. Alicia had been his only family and she had been taken from him. Killed by him. It was something he would never forget, no matter if he were to ever atone for such a horrendous sin. Alicia's absence had created a void inside him that he knew could never be filled.

He wished Seles would never endure such a thing.

"Zelos is already dead if we allow Ratatosk to win." Presea said.

Regal and Seles turned to see the other two Tethe'allans standing a few feet away. He wondered how long they had been listening.

"Can we see it?" Sheena asked.

Carefully, Regal opened the coat to reveal the orb. Its surface was smooth, undisturbed by any wear and tear that nature may have caused. It continued to glow, as if demanding attention. Taking out her holocom, Presea took a picture of it.

"We should send this to the others." She said.

"And the list too." Sheena said. "They might know about these locations."

"What about Ratatosk?" Seles asked.

"For now, tell him you have retrieved the orb." Regal said. "It is better for him to think you are still working with him. We do not want to alarm him, especially if we can get to these orbs first."

"Let me hang onto it, in case."

"No, I shall." Presea said.

"What? Why?" Seles questioned.

"Precautionary." The pink-haired woman gave her a blank look.

That was exactly what Yuan said, Regal thought. Curious.

"Fine."

"Should we head back to Meltokio?" Sheena asked, her voice hesitant. "The sun is about to go down."

Quickly, they boarded their rehairds and spiraled upward into the sky. The hour long flight to the capital passed in silence. Regal made no move to create conversation. To him, it seemed each was lost in her own thoughts, and it was best to let them be.

What was Ratatosk up to? These orbs, what did they mean? And what were they to be used for?

Overhead, Presea sped forward, the passing wind hitting Regal's cheeks. He watched her pink hair stream behind her, carried on the rafters. Yuan and Presea had argued quite a bit during the meeting two mornings ago. Why?

It wasn't his business. He and Presea had made their peace, and that was that. They were friendly, cordial. Able to work together on building projects and other restoration plans in various areas of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant through the Lezerano Company. But even though she had forgiven him for murdering Alicia, the man knew that they would never sustain a close relationship, even though there was an undeniable bond between them. And that was alright. However, that didn't change the fact that he felt somewhat responsible for her well-being. Ensuring her happiness in any way he could.

He doubted Presea would agree.

When the four of them arrived in the city, night had descended, and the city was alive with music and laughter. Lights flooded the streets, guiding partiers and nightwakers in their revelries. Presea was the first to take her leave, saying there were matters she needed to attend to (what were those he wondered, but knew better than to ask). Seles also excused herself, wishing to rest, and Sheena felt similarly, so the two headed towards the Wilder mansion.

And then he was alone.

In the morning, he would meet with Queen Hilda to see how things had gone in his absence. Her Majesty, Hilda...he was looking forward to seeing her (dare he feel such a thing?). Though the past two months had been rough for the new queen, he'd admired her strength to push forward despite her father's crimes. Her ability to put aside personal matters and focus on steering her people in the right direction was admirable.

Though he should follow the example of the others, he was not ready to retire for the night. Restlessness set in his bones. His mansion was empty, quiet. He would be left to tackle his thoughts, which he wished not to do. The excitement of the past 48 hours had him electrified, and not in a pleasant way.

A voice whispered in his ear, and Regal followed its suggestion, walking through the main square and commercial district, passing in the shadows to avoid any whom he might know. As he spun through the back alleyways, he considered if the decision was a wise one. Most likelynot _._ But he wouldn't let that stop him for once. After everything, he needed to...relax (he wished there were a better word for it; somehow it felt disreputable and dishonest to the experience it was). Finally, he arrived at an ornate, brown door. It looked similar to the other doors in the surrounding buildings, nothing out of the ordinary. But what lay behind the door was another world.

With purpose, the nobleman knocked on the door of The Parlour Room. And after providing his alias and the password, he was invited inside the high-class courtesan house.

What began as a convenient dalliance had become more than that. Melanie was a source of comfort, a strange constant in his life. He wasn't in love with her, he could never be (not of fault of her own, to be sure), but he did care for her. Regal supposed he should be pessimistic about their relationship; she could be crafting the same openness with all of her callers. The same unique care and attention. Something inside him said she was different with him.

The man straightened his coat and knocked on her door.

"Regal?"

The light voice traveled through his ears and a fire lit in his groin.

Cautiously, he opened the door to her sanctuary. As he stepped over the threshold, the man looked up to see the blonde wearing a set of pink lingerie. Of course, she could have presented herself in a plain dress, or even in a dirty one, and she would still be one of the most attractive women in all of Tethe'alla. He considered himself lucky he had knocked on her door that fateful night months ago.

Lace adorned her skin, the shape of her brassiere illuminated the curves of her breasts, and the cloth along her hips and garters traveling down her legs highlighted the length of her body.

Regal felt himself stiffen but made no move towards her. Though their trysts were somewhat regular, he would never make any assumptions until she invited him into her personal space. Regardless of her profession, he would treat any woman as a lady, deserving of all courtesies, and that most certainly included Melanie.

"It's good to see you." She smiled and sat down on the bed.

"And you." He said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Come here."

Obliging, he took a seat next to her, controlling the slight tremor in his hand. Even now, after many interactions, she still made him nervous.

"Did you have a nice trip?" The woman inquired, her mouth perfectly forming each word she spoke.

"Yes. It was...good to see them. My friends, that is."

"You seem troubled. What's wrong?"

Regal shook his head. "I apologize. It is not something I can share."

"I understand. As always, should you ever want to tell me, I'm happy to listen."

He nodded.

"What else is on your mind?" Melanie drew her index finger around his jawline, batting her eyelashes. The green of her eyes entranced him; his heart hammered in his chest.

"I wonder...are you always this open?"

"You mean with the others?"

"I apologize. I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's a legitimate question. I can answer." She said as she undid the tie that kept his hair in its ponytail. "I would say only with one another. Her pain though is vastly different from yours."

"Her?"

"I entertain outside of The Parlour Room. Only for a few who are afraid to step through these doors."

Melanie began to unbutton his shirt. Her soft hands on his skin made it difficult to concentrate.

"Please keep that to yourself. I do not normally discuss my other clients."

"Of course."

"This is why I am open with you. I can trust you." And she smiled coyly. "And you are very much the gentleman."

Aptly, the woman slid the cotton shirt off, leaving his chest bare.

"Sometimes though you make a woman wait too long."

He smirked.

"Then let me tarry no longer."

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into him and laid his lips on hers. She moaned into the kiss and the feel of her soft skin rubbing against his enflamed his body. He could smell the sweet rosey smell of her perfume intermingled with her own scent and he ran kisses down her neck and she gasped. With one hand, he reached around and undid the clasp of her bra. Hastily, she shrugged out of it, bringing her breasts to his chest.

His breath hitched in his throat and he kissed her once more, capturing her lips furiously.

Pulling away, she breathed. "Let me turn out the light."

As she reached to snuff the candle, he caught her wrist. "Don't. I want to see you."

A mischievous grin spread over her face.

"As your lordship commands."


	8. Intangible Wounds, Unseen Injuries

After a three hour flight, Sheena arrived in the university town of Sybak. With the looming clouds overhead, it was depressing and drab. Wrinkling her nose, the ninja sighed as she parked her rheaird just a few feet from the entrance. This was a terrible place; she almost wished it could be wiped off Aselia, but if being here would help save Zelos, then she would do it. She'd do just about anything to bring him back, even go on a date with that disgusting Bonaventure again (he had stared at her chest all evening, then made some crude comment about the two of them retiring to his apartment after dinner; she shuddered at the remembrance).

Over the last few days, all the young woman could think about were Colette's words. The High Priestess was right: Sheena ought to have more faith in Zelos and their relationship. There was no evidence that everything he'd said to her, everything they'd...done (to be honest, they hadn't done all that much, though, she was embarrassed to say, she wanted to do more), was all a disguise created by Ratatosk. Regardless, it was difficult to not be afraid of that reality. What if he hadn't really loved her? And she had opened herself up to a monster?

No, no, no. She was doing it again. Running around in circles. Colette told her to have faith, and she needed to believe it. Believe in him.

 _Zelos_.

Sheena missed his laugh, the warmth of his hand when it held hers, the jokes he whispered in her ear for only her to know (even his lewd jokes though she would never admit it otherwise it wouldn't be the last she'd hear of it). With Zelos gone, the young woman realized how much of a constant he had become in her life. And in a flash...he disappeared. Her heart clutched in her chest. Goddess, he had always been around her, why had she not taken a chance sooner? Why had she'd taken for granted that he was always around?

Shaking her head vigorously, as if she were shaking the thoughts from her mind, the ninja headed for the University. Even as she ascended the steps, the pit in her stomach grew as she remembered what this place had contained in the past, facilities of inmumane experimentation. A low growl escaped her mouth. She had to focus: focus on why she was here and what information she needed to get, not allow the hatred she felt for Sybak get in the way of that mission.

It was not working very well.

Stomping down the hallways, the ninja watched students in white coats pass her by, embroiled in conversations about experiments, classwork, and the like. The woman scrunched her nose; she didn't want to hear about any types of experiments. With everything that had recently happened, she would have thought students would be cowering in fear of having their research taken from them. The institution had much of its infrastructure stripped once King Ferdinand's secret labs were discovered. ad Queen Hilda had crusaded to rid all of those labs of every remnant of her father's experiments: lab equipment, access, experiment results. Everything. But it seemed the students were oblivious to the government oversight, lost in their own worlds, content to think that their work was the center of the universe and therefore protected.

 _Idiots._

Seething, she barged into the downstairs lab, flinging open the door to find a half elf seated at a small desk in the far corner. "Kate."

The black-haired woman looked up, startled.

"Ambassador, this is a surprise."

"I'm not staying long. I have some questions about...Corrine." She walked over to the desk and crossed her arms over her chest. If Zelos had been there, he would've cracked a joke about her angry bosom bounced. Then she would get all flushed and smack him. And then he would laugh and hug her, which she would allow him to do, since she secretly wanted a hug too.

But he wasn't there.

"Ah, I see. What do you want to know?"

"How did you create Corrine? I mean, how is was he different from one of the summon spirits like Celsius or Volt?"

"Do you want the long explanation or short?" Kate motioned for her to take a seat.

"Short." Sheena responded, sitting with a frown. Goddess, she didn't want to stay too long.

"Spirits like Celsius & Volt came into being when mana was introduced into the world. At least that is what our history tells us and from what we can scientifically determine." Kate said. "They are directly connected to the World Tree. They act as mana balancers for the world as they are evenly spread across Aselia. Effectively, all parts of the world are able to get the mana they need to thrive."

"And with Corrine, he wasn't connected to the tree, right?"

"Exactly. He was outside of the natural order of mana. Corrine was also born from mana, just like all life on Aselia, but not in the normal manner. Though we can never exactly determine how summon spirits came into being, I don't believe they underwent the process Corrine did."

Sheena stiffened.

"Which was?"

"We infused raw mana, in liquid form, into a domesticated cat."

"You did what?"

She had never asked how Corrine had been created. It was terrible, horrible. It went against everything she was taught: every being in the world was sacred. All beings deserved to live in dignity. This...this was the complete opposite.

"We had done many trials on animals. Corrine was our first success."

"How many did you do?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Sheena shook her head, struggling to keep her anger at bay. How could they do such a thing?

"We had two others after Corrine left our facility. Unfortunately, neither survived for more than a month."

"You experimented on animals!"

"That's disgusting!" Sheena spat.

For the first time in the conversation, Kate's face morphed into one of sorrow. "I know."

Silence settled over the conversation. The ninja shifted from side to side, brimming with anger. Why had she been the one to come here? Why couldn't it have been someone else?

It was childish. She knew that. Taking a deep breath, Sheena pushed down the angry. The faster she got back on track, the faster she could leave this horrible place.

"What do you mean 'liquid mana'?"

"I received it from the Church. From my father."

Sheena balled her hands into fists. Of course. It all came back to Kate's father, the Pope.

 _That slimey asshole..._

Once more, the young woman took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Easier said than done.

"Do you know where it came from?

"No, not in the slightest. But I have a guess. I think it may have come from the World Tree. Its seed to be exact."

"Why do you think that?"

"Procuring mana in a liquid form is almost impossible. Mana is not something we can typically see. It is mostly in a gaseous form. A harmless chemical in the air. For example, the mana cannon worked using specific chemical reactions to channel mana into an energized form that could be used as a weapon. I could outline the chemistry for you if you'd like."

"No, thanks though." Sheena muttered. The liquid mana coming from the seed...Yggdrasill must've wanted to make summon spirits. That was strange. Maybe he needed to help keep his demented two world structure alive.

It didn't matter now. The angel was gone and the worlds were one. And no more experiments on animals were underway.

Corrine would've been happy to know that.

Hesitating, the ninja asked, "How did they die?"

"The other two experiments? A complication we never really did figure out. Their DNA was altered to the point where they were no longer plugged into the world's mana stream. So they died."

"Was that intentional?"

"No, not in the slightest. We were told to make as many as possible. Summon spirits that is."

"Why? Why did they want to create summon spirits in the first place?"

"That I can't answer."

Sheena fell silent, absorbing the information. Something between anger and pain pulled at her. Was this nightmare over? Could she leave and never come back?

"Why are you asking these questions?" Kate inquired.

"It doesn't matter." The young woman rose to her feet. "Thanks for your time."

Without waiting, she turned on her heel and exited.

Tears began to collect in her eyes as she rushed through the university and out into the town. A light sprinkle descended upon her as she exited the Academy, memories of Corrine flooding her mind. The sky was darkening with each step she took. Rain began to fall harder and the young woman rushed towards the inn, taking shelter underneath the awning.

Corrine had once been her only friend in the world. A small but fierce creature, they had trusted each other to the very end. She had loved Corrine and Corrine had loved her. After Sheena's first attempt to make a pact with Volt, Corrine was the only one to not give up on the young woman. When Sheena worried whether or not to take the mission to kill the Chosen of Sylvarant in exchange for the safety of the people of Mizuho, Corrine said that he would stand with Sheena whatever her decision. Once Sheena had met Colette and the others, she had expressed to Corrine her doubts about killing the young girl, and Corrine had understood. Loyalty was one of Corrine's strongest attributes, and Sheena had never before had a friend like that,. Then he died and she thought she would never have a friend like that (though, to be fair, Colette came really close).

That was before Zelos.

A tear dropped down her cheek, then another. Hugging her sides, Sheena recalled their first kiss. It had been a surprise, to both of them. She had been the one to kiss him and it marveled her. It had been impulsive, taking a chance like that. It had felt right in the moment. And even after, when she went to bed, she didn't regret it. Though facing him the next day had been terrifying. She expected him to make fun of her. Say something that he had always known she had carried a torch for him. Instead, Zelos had done what she thought was impossible: confess his feelings for her. Never in a million years would the young woman have believed she and the ex-Chosen would find themselves in a romantic entanglement. And yet they had, and it had been wonderful.

Had been...

 _NO. No, he's still alive._

Tears slid down her cheeks and she sniffled. Angrily, she wiped them away. Crying wasn't going to solve anything. It just made her look weak and she wasn't supposed to be weak.

An image of him grinning flashed before her eyes. He gave her that knowing wink that made her heart sigh (though she would never show it). They had to get him back. Losing him was unthinkable.

* * *

Apparently, there was a storm passing through, predicted to last today and and the next. Cheek resting on upturned hand, Seles eyed the drops of water falling from the sky from her window-side seat at her favorite cafe. A heavy rain could delay all of the plans she had set in motion a month ago, before this mess (mess didn't even cover it; heart-wrenching turmoil? That sounded pathetic, but that's what it was).

Holding a mug of hot chocolate, Seles glared at the rain splattering onto the cobblestone walkways. The young woman needed this. She needed this to distract her. Why did the storm have to happen now? Just one week later and she wouldn't care! No, the universe was against her. Any other time, she would have bowed her head and taken this as a trial by the Goddess to test her patience. But this time, it was impossible. Heavy rainfall continued, unrelenting, as if wishing to damper her already burdened spirits. Watching it only made her angrier. Why in the Goddess' name had Zelos even gone down to the Ginnungagap? Why did he put himself in that danger? Now, he was ruining everything!

 _Dammit all to hell._

Squeezing the ceramic cup, the young woman tensed her body. No. A little bit of weather wasn't going to dissuade her. Even if the rain continued to fall, she would move ahead, regardless of what the others would do (that would demonstrate their commitment).

"Hey there, stranger."

Turning her gaze away from the rain, Seles watched as a young woman with light brown skin and indigo hair took a seat across from her. The High Priestess forced a smile.

"Hi Cora."

"I was happy to get your message. You took off so quickly I didn't know when I'd see you again." She pursed her lips and leaned backward into her chair.

"Things have been...busy."

"How was the High Priestess' birthday."

"Fun."

Seles sipped her drink.

"Very forthcoming. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I just want to focus on this. Is everyone ready?"

Cora grinned from ear to ear. Taking out a blue tablet from her bag, she touched the screen and turned it to Seles. "Here's the full list for tomorrow. We're meeting at 10:00am at the designated spot. Are you going to say a few words before we head out?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Okay, I'll let everyone know."

Cora continued speaking, but Seles' eyes unfocused, her mind pulling away from the present. Would Zelos approve of what she was doing? No doubt he would. He'd always been supportive of her. If he was there, he wouldn't scold her (or he better not). She wished he could see it tomorrow. It was going to be magnificent; an act of rebellion even he would commend her for (at least, that's what he ought to do).

"Seles? What's wrong? You seem distracted."

"No, I'm fine. Let's focus." The High Priestess fixed her stare on Cora, challenging her to say otherwise.

Shaking her head, her companion took the tablet back. "You know what this is going to do, right?"

"Shake up the system? That's exactly why I'm doing it. I'm not backing down."

"Even if it hurts the other High Priestess?"

Seles looked back towards the window. It was a depressing truth, knowing that she would inevitably be making life difficult for her partner —her spirit sister — but the half elf hoped Colette would understand.

"There's still time to change your mind."

"No. The time is now. If we don't do it, we may never get another chance to."

"That's not exactly true."

"Yes, but it'll be much harder if we do this later. Right now, we can use the existing momentum."

"I just don't want to see you sad."

Seles laughed, the sound dripping with bitterness. "There's nothing to be done about that right now."

"Alright." Casually, she took the High Priestess' drink and sipped.

The High Priestess eyes widened. Cora winked.

Swallowing, Seles rose. "I need to go."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Definitely!"

Without waiting for a response, she tore out of the cafe.

Definitely? How childish did that sound? Good goddess, the world was against her in every facet of her life. Flushed, Seles headed for the Church of Martel.

Minutes later, she shut herself away in her office and got down to work. There were about a dozen orders from small temples dotting the Tethe'allan countryside requesting funds. The work was monotonus; tedium repetition was a welcome exercise. However, her mind was not ready to let go and drown itself in numbers.

Sheena had the orb. Seles had shared the image of it with Ratatosk. He'd been pleased — she shuddered at the mere thought — and then barked at her to find the others.

Which meant he wasn't well enough to do so. That was good at least.

But where were they?

Putting her pen down, Seles brought her hands together and bowed her head. They had to find them soon. Every second wasted was another second of possibly losing her brother forever. That was unacceptable. Living in the world without her brother was unimaginable.

As if the Goddess Martel heard her prayer, her holocom beeped.

* * *

Excited, Genis rushed to his room, away from curious eyes. Rapidly, his fingers dashed over his holocom's keyboard and he began to spill out everything he'd discovered to his friends. It wasn't much, but enough in light of recent events.

 _"Guys! I figured out where all the locations are (or I think anyway)! There was this really old map in the stacks at the Academy. It was drawn by some geologists 100ish years ago, but they have dated this stuff back 6000 years (prob why Kratos and Yuan don't know anything). It had most of the names written on it, but in all these weird places."_

Finding the map had made him so excited that he'd missed class that morning to do all of the calculations (he was definitely not going to tell Raine; she'd blow a gasket). Spreading the map out on his desk, he'd also retrieved a current world map and begun to figure out how continents moved over time and such (with the help of multiple maps over the centuries from his geology textbook; it was only fifty years old so that was actually helpful, unlike the class). He'd never tell Raine, but he was somewhat thankful she'd made him study basic cartography in Iselia — the skills were actually coming in handy.

Glancing at the map, Genis continued texting in the group conversation:

 _"Okay, here is where I think the orbs are (there are three in Sylvarant and two more in Tethe'alla):_

 _Hardens Pass - Penninsula of Katz Island (Closest to Iselia)_

 _The Grace Cathedral - The archipelago above the Temple of Earth_

 _Oakswood - The little island northwest of Palmacosta_

 _Nia Khera - West of the SE Abbey_

 _Kijara Seafalls - That tiny island near the Balacruf Museum, closest to Tethe'alla."_

Bouncing on his bed, the half elf stared at the screen, eagerly awaiting a response. They had to respond. This was important!

The device buzzed in his hand.

 _"This is wonderful work, Genis. But shouldn't you be in class?" Raine wrote._

 _"Raine...really?"_

 _"We'll discuss this later."_

A notification popped up at the top of the screen. Raine had messaged him separately, outside of the group conversation. Genis groaned and clicked.

 _"Once again, brilliant work Genis. But that doesn't change the fact you should be in class."_

 _"Can't you just be proud of me?"_

 _"I am. But I'm also looking out for your future."_

 _"One class isn't gonna 'ruin my future'."_

 _"That may be true, but you should not think this behavior is acceptable."_

 _"Whatever."_

He flipped back to the group conversation as a few more notifications had popped up while Raine was lecturing him.

 _"Kratos and I can go check out the one on Katz Island! Maybe hang out with some of the Katz too ^_^." Lloyd wrote._

 _"Oooh, Lloyd! Can you get some of those sugar candies while you're there?" Colette chimed in._

 _"I will go to the Abbey in a few days. It was my home after all." Seles interjected._

 _"Good. Sheena, why don't you go with her?" Raine responded._

 _"Sure thing!" Sheena interjected. "Seles and I know what to look for anyhow."_

 _"Sure, Colette. What kind?" Lloyd asked._

 _"The candies that are pink and white! They're sweet :3"_

 _"I can accompany Sheena and Seles." Regal wrote._

 _"That isn't necessary, Regal. You'll have your hands full in the next few days." Seles countered._

 _"What does that mean, Seles?" Regal answered._

 _"I can go check out Oakswood." Genis inserted._

 _"No. You need to study, Genis." Raine wrote. "Colette will go."_

 _"I'll come visit you after, Genis!"_

Angrily, he switched back to the private conversation with his sister.

 _"You never let me do anything!"_

 _"Genis, I told you—"_

 _"You're the worst."_

The teen didn't wait for her reply and flipped back to the group conversation.

 _"Lloyd. If it isn't much trouble, I would like to request Katz candies as well." Regal wrote._

 _"Absolutely! Do you have a kind you like?" Lloyd asked._

 _"The blue ones preferably, but I will be grateful for any of them." Regal replied._

 _"No problem! Consider it done :D"_

 _"I will go to the Kijara Seafalls and The Grace Cathedral archipelago as I have business in Meltokio with the Queen in the next few days." Raine said._

 _"I will accompany you." Kratos added._

 _"That is not necessary." The half elf countered._

Genis snickered. He flipped back to the private conversation with his sister.

 _"Excited for your date?"_

 _"It is not a date, Genis. This is official business, and it so happens that these two sites are on the way. It is a matter of convenience, that is all."_

 _"Mmk, well be careful of those hot springs! Who knows what could happen there."_

 _"GENIS. THAT IS INAP—"_

Served her right. He switched back to the group conversation.

 _"Are you getting the sour candies?" Seles inquired. "I'd like the red ones, if you are."_

 _"You betcha!" Lloyd said. "Does anyone else want candy?"_

 _"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Yuan interrupted._

 _"You don't need to write in all caps." Genis wrote._

 _"WHY ARE WE DISCUSSING CANDY."_

 _"Yuan! Do you want some? (^^)" Colette asked._

 _"...THE GREEN ONES."_

 _"Coming right up!" Lloyd wrote._

 _"KRATOS. MEET ME AT EXIRE AFTER YOU GO WITH RAINE."_

 _"What's in Exire?" Raine asked._

 _"Alright." Kratos said._

 _"You know, you can get Rayna to show you how to text." Genis said._

 _"I AM DOING JUST FINE."_

 _"Sure. 0_0"_

Even though Yuan had invented the holocom, the angel hadn't mastered texting etiquette. It was mind boggling, especially 'cause it wasn't that hard. But it was kind of funny to see him struggle.

 _"Does everyone have their assignments? Let's make sure these are done in the next three days, time differences aside." Raine interrupted._

 _"Yes, whatever you say CHAIR." Genis wrote._

Genis rolled his eyes and tossed his holocom to the side. It landed on his pillow and beeped. Twice. Three times. He eyed it with disdain. Definitely another text from Raine scolding him about his 'attitude'.

He wasn't gonna read it. What was the point? He knew exactly what she said.

Couldn't she see he wasn't a baby anymore? He could take care of himself. In fact, over and over again he proved he could. And yet she didn't see it.

 _Whatever_.

Turning onto his side, he glanced at his clock. 11:30am. He'd already missed half of class. _Blame it on a cold_. Besides, it was Professor Yee's class, "History of the Great Kharlan War". He already knew everything about that (and if he didn't he'd just ask Kratos or Yuan, assuming they were in the mood to listen to him). And chances were that there he could get extra credit to make up missing class. Not that he wanted to take advantage of Professor Yee's kindness (he really liked Professor Yee; she was really smart, and kind, and not to mention pretty). But there were more important things to do, like figure out how to defeat Ratatosk.

Next to the clock was the stack of books he'd "borrowed" from the lower library about Summon Spirits and the maps of Aselia. Besides going into it without permission, one was DEFINITELY not supposed to check books out of there (Raine would be horrified to hear he was handling sensitive texts; it wasn't like he was hurting them or anything!). Now the half elf had to figure out how to get them back in without being caught.

He groaned. It was a stupid move in the first place. Why had he done it?

Because Ratatosk was terrifying.

And Zelos was in danger.

 _Dammit_.

He'd forgotten to mention what he'd found out about Ratatosk in his hurry to share the locations of the orbs. No matter, it probably wasn't super important and could wait.

The half elf picked up his map and looked at it. Oakswood wasn't that far from him, easy enough to travel to especially since the weather was good this week. It was stupid that Raine said he couldn't go himself. It would be a day trip at most, that was it. Tomorrow he didn't have any classes so, feasibly, he'd go in the early morning and be back by night and not miss any school. Or, if he had to stay overnight, he'd just get up early the next morning and get back in time for Calculus. That would be easy.

Then he could tell Raine he'd gotten the orb all on his own.

Grinning, he began to pack his bag.

* * *

It was cold. Undeniably cold. Cold and dark.

Where was he?

There was no way to know, no way to tell. It covered him: blackness. Covered whatever 'him' was...

He couldn't see.

He couldn't speak.

He couldn't touch, smell.

He couldn't make any sounds.

But he could hear.

Howls and screams of pain; cackling; the swipe of a blade and the thump of a body.

Sounds swirled around him. He tried to block them out, but they only grew louder, barraging him, overwhelming him, haunting him.

A flash of red blinded him. A tidal wave of rage collapsed on top of him, crushing him. It filled him inside and out, tore him apart. Pain shredded through his atoms and it seeped through to his core. Consuming him. The hunger, unrelenting. Needing to breach every part of him.

He tried to scream, cry out for help, for relief, for anything but the pain.

Then it was gone.

He cowered. Clutched at whatever he could. Tried to soothe intangible wounds, heal unseen injuries.

 _That is only a fraction. There is so much more._

Dripping with malice, the voice caressed him. He flinched.

 _Give in. Let go. It would be best for you._

Why? Why did it want him to go? What could he do against the voice?

 _You will be sorry if you stay._

It disappeared.

He was alone, again. As he always was. Alone. Had he ever not been alone?

The pain was still fresh. Horrendous. Terrifying.

How much more could he go through?

Why did he need to live through it? What was the point? Was there a reason he was holding on?

Something within the darkness whispered to him.

There had been one.

Frantically, he flung himself out, grasping, trying to find that something which was lost. Was it lost? Did it ever exist?

Yes. No. Yes. No.

He pushed. He pulled. He gathered.

A flicker of black and purple and pink. The sound of a laugh. Sweet sounds.

Reaching out, he clamped himself around it. Embraced it. Felt a bloom of warmth.

Whatever it was, he would not give up now. Not until he knew...

* * *

A/N: Not sure if I will keep updating this regularly, but I will certainly try! I hope you guys enjoyed the texting conversation; it was a bit of an experiment and challenging to write, so I'd love to hear some thoughts (I wish FF had a color coding feature, that would have been so helpful). Leave some love if you'd like. I always appreciate it ^_^


	9. Off-balance

To Regal's dismay, morning brought more rain to western Tethe'alla. According to the weather report, it would continue to increase over the next several days with no sign of letting up until the following week. As the duke readied himself for the day, he listened to the climate scientists over the radio admitting that the rainfall was earlier this season than it had been in previous years, and that there was far more of it (this would be beneficial to the farming lands south of the Fooji mountains, as they had suffered from drought the past year, he reasoned). Tying up the buttons on his sky blue, collared shirt, the nobleman raised an eyebrow as the scientists assured everyone that despite the surprise amount of rainfall, they had no reason to be concerned.

If anything sounded like a lie, that very much did.

Due to the downpour, it would be prudent to travel to the castle via carriage instead of on foot, as he was used to doing. Though he disliked forgoing the exercise, turning up on the doorstep of the castle drenched would be inappropriate for an audience with the Queen (not that he minded the rain; in fact, he found walks in the rain to be refreshing, and at times, most necessary). Without dallying, the nobleman boarded his vehicle and headed towards the palace. Minutes later, as the carriage rounded the corner down the main street, it jolted to a stop.

Confused, Regal peered out the window to see a sea of bodies: people chanting over and over again.

 _What is this?_

He could just make out the words of their shouts over the rain, but the expressions on their faces were enough to communicate the message. Anger.

Alarmed, the man opened the door, and leaned out the carriage, rain hitting his hair and clothes, eager to sink its teeth into his skin. Screams filled his ears:

"EQUALITY FOR ALL!"

"SEPARATION OF NONE!"

Adrenaline pulsed through him. The man exited his vehicle, ignoring the behests of his driver, and began to walk with the massive group, studying each person he passed.

They were all half elves. And this was a demonstration.

Minutes passed as Regal followed the procession. There must have been some seventy, eighty half elves in attendance. The whole population of Meltokio was around 700, and if he remembered correctly, 200 of those citizens were half elves. This was about 40% of the half elf population. Though they were less than half, they were no less formidable as they shouted to the sky, and brandished their signs painted with slogans demanding rights for which they were not afforded.

Whispers reached his ears. Turning away, he saw people begin to collect some ten feet away, observing the growing spectacle. All humans. A city guard pushed his way to the front, gripping his spear, staring with contempt at the parade.

Regal tensed.

He had to get to whomever was leading the charge.

The sounds of dissent reverberated in his ears as he made his way through the mass. Surely he would find the leader at the front of the march. And he or she, whomever it was, needed to be warned of the possible danger, even if the group had every right to peacefully protest.

Things were different for half elves, even if it law pertained to all citizens regardless of race (there weren't many of those unfortunately). More than once, Meltokio law enforcement saw fit to "interpret" the law according to their beliefs. Regal knew the reputation the city guard had when it came to treating half elves.

And it was not just.

The protestors came to a stop. Shouts became murmurs, and even those died within seconds.

"THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY. I KNOW THE CONDITIONS AREN'T IDEAL, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS IMPORTANT. MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY SORT OF UNFAVORABLE WEATHER."

That voice...

His heart stilled. He knew that voice.

Slowly, the nobleman advanced, weaving his way through the parishioners listening to their shepherd.

"WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY TO RAISE OUR VOICES. PROTEST AGAINST THE UNJUST TREATMENT WE HAVE ENDURED FOR CENTURIES. WE HAVE SEEN OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SYLVARANT GET THE EQUALITY THEY DESERVE. WHY SHOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENCE FOR US? WHY SHOULD OUR QUEEN CONTINUE TO DENY US THE SAME RIGHTS?"

A roar of agreement filled the air.

"THE GODDESS MARTEL DOES NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RACE. SHE LOVES ALL OF US IN ASELIA. IN HER EYES, WE ARE ALL HER CHILDREN AND WE ALL PAY TRIBUTE TO HER IN THE SAME WAY. SO WHY MUST WE ENDURE DISCRIMINATION BASED ON WHO OUR PARENTS WERE? ON SOMETHING WE COULD NOT CONTROL AND CANNOT NOW? WE SHOULD NOT! WE WILL NOT!"

Wedging through two half elven women, Regal stepped to the front line. On top of two modest apple boxes stood Seles, dressed in her High Priestess finery (a green gown turned from the heavy rain), her arms outspread, facing the crowd. Red hair stuck to her neck, and her headdress stood askew, but the tenor of her voice was resolute. She would not be deterred. Though he was several feet away, Regal could see her facial features etched in defiance.

"HALF ELVES DESERVE EQUALITY! WE DESERVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS OUR HUMAN AND ELVEN COUNTERPARTS! AND WE WON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS ANYMORE! IT IS NO LONGER A REALITY WE SHALL ACCEPT AND TIE OURSELVES TOO. WE WILL PREVAIL. WE WILL PERSIST. THANK YOU AND MAY THE GODDESS MARTEL BLESS US ALL!"

The crowd exploded in cheers and applause. Smiling, Seles waved and stepped down, walking a few feet away from the uproar to where a woman with tan skin stood. She whispered in the High Priestess' ear and the half elf beamed. Then the woman walked forward and took Seles' place upon the makeshift pedestal, beginning her own speech and rallying the crowd through the downpour.

Regal rushed out of the line and towards the High Priestess. He touched her arm and she turned, her eyes widening with recognition.

"Seles! What is this?"

"What does it look like? We're demanding that Hilda give us what we deserve." She snapped.

"Is this necessary? You could discuss this with her in a private audience instead of raising a mob. What if the city guard 'interferes' with the protest?"

"It doesn't matter. This is _exactly_ what is necessary. She has done nothing to advance the rights of half elves in Tethe'alla since taking the throne."

Regal raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. The younger woman stared back at him with a challenge in her eyes.

"It's only been two months and you know she has had much to contend with. Especially at your hands."

"Are you saying what I did was wrong?" Seles frowned, "Exposing the King's lies and his atrocities?"

"No. But try to see it from her perspective." Regal sighed. If he could get Seles to understand, surely there would be no need for this mass of anger. Hilda was reasonable, despite her parentage.

And he wanted to prevent any potential bloodshed that could occur.

The High Priestess crossed her arms and turned her face towards her congregation.

"There is a whole race of people that are treated like second class citizens based on how pointy there ears are. And I won't stop until she makes equality a law. Are you going to stop me?"

"No. You know I would not do that."

Arguing against half elven equality was something the nobleman would never do. Although he had been raised in a traditional Tethe'allan fashion, Regal had never prescribed to the belief that half elves were lesser than humans. And never would.

"This is what you meant about having my hands full." Regal continued, taking his eyes off her for a moment and focusing on the crowd. "Playing politics to help you with your goal."

"I see you're catching on." She smirked.

 _Clever_. Regal had retained his position as the Minister of the Interior (many of her father's ministers had been tried for treason or fired upon her coronation), and so still had access to the highest levels of government. Using his influence and position, Seles would be able to more acutely press forth her agenda (that is what he assumed anyway). Though her method was troublesome, he would not blame her for using the resources she had at hand.

"I'll speak with the Queen."

"Sure, do that. All of the papers will catch wind of this, and then she will be forced to respond."

He shook his head. Seles was a firecracker. He admired her spirit and her determination to get what she advocated for (she was always looking out for the welfare of others). But it was worrying that she sometimes ignored the collateral damage her actions caused. How would Hilda fair in this situation, with everything she was already juggling, Regal did not know.

"You don't do anything without making a splash, do you?"

"What's the point of doing anything otherwise?"

The young woman winked at him and turned away to watch the rally. A small warmth bloomed inside him. It was good to see Seles smile; a relief considering how hard these past few days must have been for her. He had thought to ask the half elf how she was, but since their kiss two months ago, she had kept him at an arm's length. Perhaps she was embarrassed as they had never discussed it. He didn't want her to feel that way at all (it had been a pleasurable kiss, even though it only occurred for the sake of disguise), but perhaps since they hadn't discussed it, she wished to avoid him.

But these ruminations were for another time.

Turning away, Regal rushed up the alabaster stairs towards the palace. Passing the guards at the entrance, he strode under the ornate archway towards the gate. As soon as he stepped into the foyer, one of Hilda's handmaids greeted him (Laura if he recalled correctly).

"Sir Regal. Queen Hilda is requesting your presence in her study immediately."

He nodded and headed through the west wing, thoughts swirling about the scene unfolding just outside the palace gates. How was Hilda feeling? Was she blaming herself? Enraged? Apathetic? With everything that had happened in the wake of her father's execution, the new Queen had suffered (he knew it, though she never spoke of it). It was a wonder to him that she was willing to get out of bed and continue forth each and every day without a moment of rest.

Of course, that was her duty as Queen. She did not have the luxury of indulging her emotions, even if she needed time to heal. It was...unfair. Unreasonable. But she would never claim such a thing. And he would never push her to discuss those things that she kept locked instead her heart. But should Hilda ever feel the desire to speak with him on such matters, he would be happy to listen.

When Regal arrived in the study, he caught sight of the woman standing by the window. Her golden hair hung loosely down her shoulders and back, covering the pastel pink of her dress. Though the window was closed, he could still hear the yells of the protesters as he neared her.

She did not take her eyes off of the display below as she said, "It's quite a thing, yes?" She paused. "They're right to demand their equality. I know that. I never agreed with my father about how half elves were treated, but I never said anything to the contrary. Which is being complicit in his actions of discrimination. I have no excuses."

Silent, he crossed the room.

"I cannot say that I always believed half elves were just like humans. That would be wrong. But after meeting the Chosen of Sylvarant and her friends...working with Chair Sage, I know all of that was wrong. So frightfully wrong."

"Now you have the power to make a change." Regal came to her side, keeping his eyes on her profile. The corners of her pink mouth were turned downward and her eyes drooped at their corners. He could see the beginning of crow's feet and lines in her forehead. The stress of the past few months had not been kind to her.

That did not change the fact that she was still beautiful.

"I can't." Hilda sighed. "At least...not yet."

"Why not?"

It was an unnecessary question: he already knew the answer. This was the impossible position Seles had put the Queen in. And the High Priestess had known it the minute she'd brought these protestors to the palace's doorstep.

"As soon as I do so, the Council of Nobles will reverse their position and push for embargos and higher tariffs on Sylvarant goods, not to mention cutting off the aide we are giving to restore Luin. That would be disastrous. Tariffs and embargos could plummet their economy. The Sylvarant Convention could have demanded many more reparations due to the damage done by my father's scheme. But we were able to find an accord. If the Council does this..." She shook her head and continued, "I must do everything I can to not create more tension between our nations." Hilda murmured as she turned her brown eyes onto his. They were solemn, burdened. "My hands are tied. I want to do this, please don't think I do not. But if I do, I could find myself in a stalemate with the Council, unable to get anything done. I would like to pass our own Half Elven Equality Rights Act now, but I have to wait. I have to wait for a better time."

"There will never be a better time." He replied gently.

"Regardless of the possible consequences, you think I should do it now?"

He heard the tone of defeat in her voice. Her hand hung loosely at her side, close enough for him to take. But he did not. That would be highly improprietous.

"You are the only one who can create laws. Yes, the Council will retaliate, but they cannot reverse it once it has been done." Regal paused and continued, "And you would have the support of the Chair. I am confident that if you decided to grant equal rights to Half Elves, she would defend your decision to Sylvarant, despite the consequences it may have to inter-nation relations."

The Queen gazed at him, an unreadable look in her eyes.

"I will consider it. I can't not with such a public display of protest." Hilda turned away from the window and went to sit at her desk. "I think she's punishing me."

"Seles?"

The Queen nodded as she pulled out a few documents from the folders piled on her desk.

"The High Priestess appealed to me last month for this exact reason. I told her I would bring the topic to the public forum in six months time."

Now it made sense why Seles would push the Queen. Her appeal had been denied, in a sense.

"I assume she didn't take that well." He took the seat across from the Queen, an image of the half elf appeared in his mind. He recalled how she had looked on the boxes addressing the crowd. No, she would not back down.

Inwardly, he smiled. Seles certainly knew how to tip the balance of power.

"Not in the slightest." Hilda replied, breaking through the nobleman's thoughts. "Regardless, I will have to make some sort of move soon. But not today. It will be splattered all over the news tomorrow and invite a public dialogue. I can make a statement after the media outlets do their own analyses. And then they can crucify me how they see fit." Hilda took a sip of her coffee. "Now, shall we get down to business?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Regal, how many times do I have to ask you to drop the moniker? We are equals, at least behind closed doors." Hilda rested her chin and her upturned palm, an expression of displeasure on her face.

"Apologies. A matter of habit."

"I understand and I appreciate that. But please, I need one person to be candid with, and one person to be candid with me." A small smile broke through the exasperated expression. "Now, tell me how the redevelopment in Luin is going."

* * *

"It's been really windy, right?" Lloyd asked as he and Kratos dismounted their rheairds and began the hike towards the Martel Temple. The sun was bright, almost blinding as they made their way up the hill, the wind whipping their faces, indifferent to its scratching on the men's skin.

"Yes."

"More than usual?"

"It seems so."

Giving his father a sidelong glance, Lloyd wondered if conversations with Kratos would always be difficult to start, even if he knew they were generally getting better. In the past few months, it had become a little easier for the two to converse on a daily basis. At the beginning, discussions were stilted, but with each one, the young man could feel his father relax a little more and it became a bit easier. Now, they talked about more than swords. They were moving into conversations about the weather and Dirk. Sometimes even about his mother, though those were still rare.

Maybe eventually Lloyd could talk to the angel about Colette.

Though not any time soon, that was for sure. The young man wasn't even ready to broach that subject with his dwarven father. It would be...awkward. He was embarrassed just thinking about what specifically he wanted to talk about.

So, for now, he'd just stick to the weather with Kratos. Which was pretty easy given all of the strange stuff that was happening.

"It's weird. Colette said it was getting really hot in Triet. Like hotter than usual." Lloyd said. "Remember when we were there? I thought I was gonna die."

"The climate is changing."

"Why?"

Kratos said nothing at first, as if he were collecting his thoughts. Then he mused, "I suppose it's because of Ratatosk."

Lloyd's eyes went wide. "He's messing with the weather? I didn't know he could do that! That's—"

He stopped himself. It was cool. But not cool since it was Ratatosk, who was crazy.

"Martel and Ratatosk are both guardians of the origin of the world's mana. With the two of them now present in our world, the balance of mana has most likely been thrown off." Kratos answered, glancing at his son, his auburn hair shining in the sunlight. "That is just a theory."

"Can it be fixed?"

"I don't know."

That wasn't good. Kratos knew almost everything, being alive for 4000 years and all.

"Is it dangerous? The climate changing?" Lloyd asked as he tucked his hands into his pockets, his eyes refocusing on the uphill path ahead.

"I believe so."

Lloyd's brow knitted together. Was Colette safe? Would something happen to her as she continued to travel around Sylvarant? Maybe he could go with her, just for a few days.

"Don't worry about Colette." Kratos said, as if he'd read Lloyd's mind. "She can take care of herself."

"We need to tell everyone about this."

"It's only a theory." The angel stopped and faced his son. "Until we have hard evidence, it is better to not worry them needlessly."

"No way. It's important that they know." Lloyd shook his head from side to side. He definitely wanted Colette to know, so she could be careful.

"If you insist. We'll share the information once we have spoken with Verius and collected the orb."

"Ok."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the entrance to the Martel Temple. Climbing the stone steps, Lloyd remembered about the first time he had visited it (it hadn't really been a visit, more like an adventure). That was when Colette had begun the Journey of Regeneration, a whole two years ago.

 _Wow. Time really does fly._

Cool, still air greeted them as the pair entered. It was silent, but not in the eery way. It felt...sacred; undisturbed. Had the Professor been back here since the World Regeneration? He bet she would've liked to see the place without a whole bunch of Renegades running around.

Kratos led the way through the temple and the sounds of their footsteps echoed off the walls. Lloyd's mind wandered as they passed through the corridors, and he recalled fighting monsters and Renegades (though he thought they were Desians at the time) to reach Colette. All he had thought about was making sure she was safe.

He frowned to himself. He missed her.

"Lloyd."

The young man collided with the angel and jumped backwards.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Kratos looked over his shoulder and shook his head. Lloyd grimaced. They had arrived at the dais, but he hadn't noticed, being lost in his memories.

The older man took a few steps towards the pedestal, gesturing for Lloyd to stay where he was. A few words passed the older man's lips, and he closed his eyes, putting his hands together palm to palm. Blue light surrounded him as he continued to chant, the words quickly following after one another without a break.

Lloyd looked at him in awe. What was he saying? More importantly, how was he doing that without taking a breath?

A sphere of white energy appeared, floating above the platform. It began to grow with each word Kratos chanted, until finally it stopped. Opaque, it began to shine, growing brighter with each second. Wincing, Lloyd shut his eyes, waiting for it to pass. After a few seconds, the young man cautiously reopened them. The ball had disappeared. In its place was a golden fox.

Verius.

The five tails of the summon spirit swished from right to left as the creature regarded them.

"Lloyd. Kratos. Welcome. What is it you seek?"

"Um...do you know anything about Ratatosk?" Lloyd asked, coming to stand next to Kratos.

"You mean the new presence in the mana flow." Verius said. "I only know of his strength. And his anger."

"Martel said the same thing." Kratos responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But can you do anything about him? You know, since you're the summon spirit of heart?" Lloyd said. "What does that mean anyway?"

"I am different from the other summon spirits as I do not rely on an element I derive my strength from. I am a healer. I have the power to heal those who decide it is their wish. Heal them from unbearable pain, release them from trauma. Take away that which keeps them in a cycle of suffering and oppression and free them."

"So...Ratatosk is angry and Martel said he's in a lot of pain. Can you heal him?" Lloyd took a step forward, his heart beating faster than normal.

"Should the spirit wish for healing, I could bring him peace. But he must be fully committed. Otherwise, I can do nothing."

"Fully committed?"

"There must be no doubt in his mind or heart. He must believe in his choice completely."

"Are there caveats to your power?" Kratos asked.

Verius nodded.

"There's a catch?" Lloyd's eyes widened. That hadn't occurred to him. Weren't summon spirits supposed to be all powerful?

Which meant that Ratatosk was also. _Ugh_.

But if he was living inside Zelos, was he? Zelos was mortal.

But did that mean the only way to defeat Ratatosk was to...kill Zelos?

 _No way. I won't let that happen._

"Each being can only invoke my healing power once and the healing wish cannot harm another life." Verius said.

"Do you know if Zelos is alive?"

Verius shook his head, his yellow fur glinting in the sunlight trickling through the cracks in the surrounding stone.

"I cannot answer that. But Ratatosk cannot snuff out your friend's consciousness himself, as he was the first to inhabit the body. The soul of your friend must willingly disappear."

"Zelos would never do that." Lloyd's hands balled into fists.

"Not if he were in his right mind." Kratos murmured.

The young man turned to the angel. What did that mean?

Verius nodded. "Being possessed by a spirit with as much rage as Ratatosk can warp the mind. Your friend could have forgotten who he was and everyone that was important to him. Everything of his existence."

Lloyd felt his stomach drop out.

"So we gotta rescue him before he...'let's go'..."

"What do you think? Of Ratatosk?" Kratos questioned.

The spirit was silent, staring straight at the Seraphim. Finally, he said, "Myself and many of the other spirits are...afraid."

A chill ran down Lloyd's spine. That was alarming.

"Why?"

"I am not best equipped to answer that question for I was not born when Ratatosk ruled Aselia."

"Ruled?" The angel narrowed his eyes.

"As I said, I am not the one who can fully answer. Origin would be the best to speak with about that time."

"Thank you, Verius."

"Know this. Should you wish to call upon my power, you must know your one true desire, otherwise the wish shall be wasted, and you will never get it back."

Kratos nodded and Verius shimmered, his being disappearing into the air.

Together, father and son turned and walked out of the temple in silence. Lloyd's mind swirled. Verius could grant one wish to each person. But you could only make a wish that would not harm someone else. And Zelos could have forgotten everyone and just...disappeared.

All of it made his head hurt.

As they reached the entrance, Lloyd whispered, "What now?" His voice held a tremor of fear that he wished was not there.

Kratos laid a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, Lloyd looked up. A small burst of relief coursed through him.

"We go get the orb."

Boarding their rheairds, they shot into the sky and towards the Katz Penninsula. The wind whipped around them as they streaked through the blue, and Lloyd struggled to keep his rheaird on a straight course. Glancing to his right, he saw Kratos was as well. The wind hadn't let up.

Did that mean Ratatosk was getting stronger?

Eventually the wind current stilled and quieted to his relief. As they surfed the air alongside each other, Lloyd called out, "Kratos, what if we can't rescue Zelos?"

"You believed that you could save Colette and both worlds. Why is this any different?"

"What if Zelos forgets everything before we figure out how to defeat Ratatosk? And what if Ratatosk doesn't want to be healed, like Verius said? What can we do then?"

The angel did not respond, keeping his focus on their destination in front of them. Lloyd felt his insides crumple in on himself.

A half hour later, they descended and touched down a few miles from the coast. Green grass and blue sky filled his vision as he hopped off his aircraft. He'd only been over to the cape twice, the first time during the Journey of Regeneration. The other time was just a few weeks ago with Colette. It had been deserted, which had made it the perfect place for him and Colette to be...alone.

His face flushed at the memory. A good one, but he was still getting used to certain...things about the relationship.

"What's wrong?" Kratos said.

"N-nothing!" Lloyd stammered.

"You look feverish."

"I'm fine!" Lloyd said, "So, how do we find it? The orb, I mean."

Kratos raised an eyebrow, then turned away and began walking north.

"Kratos? Hey! Wait up!"

They trudged through the grass, eyes roaming the landscape, searching for any sign of the orb. Though Lloyd didn't have the slightest clue of what he was looking for. "Okay, so Seles said that she found it in a cave 'cause there was this weird symbol carved into the side of the cliff, and it turned out to be a door. Maybe we should look for a cave?"

"Theoretically."

"What about those hills?" Lloyd pointed to their right. Though they were more dunes of grass then hills, nothing else represented mountains in the vicinity. It was probably their best bet.

"Let's go."

The two sprinted towards the hills, an unspoken competition of who would get there first (at least that's what Lloyd thought was happening). When they arrived at the base of the hills (Kratos had been just a bit faster; Lloyd wasn't sure why he'd thought it would've been any different), they hiked upward, pushing through the grass into the plush earth.

How were they gonna find anything in all of the grass? There didn't seem to be any breaks in the hillsides.

"I don't see anything."

For the second time, Kratos closed his eyes and put his hands palm to palm. This time though, Lloyd recognized what the Seraphim was about to do. As his hands began to move, he chanted in a low tone. A brown hue surrounded the angel's hands, growing with each second. Then Kratos opened his eyes and flung his hands out in front, directed at the hills.

"GRAVE!"

The hillside exploded. Earth eroded over the grass, carving into the hills. Where there had once been plush green, there now were brown patches from right to left, as if the landscape had been stripped bare. There, in the center of the hill directly in front of them, was an indentation in the rock. Leading the way, Kratos raced towards the cliffside.

As they got closer with each step, Lloyd could see it wasn't just an indentation. It was a small cave. Slowing to a stop, the young man saw a strange symbol over the entrance, which was just big enough for one person to fit into.

"I guess I'm goin' in." Lloyd grinned.

"Be careful."

"Don't worry. It'll be easy." He gave his father a thumbs up.

Squeezing into the space, the young man crouched and crawled forward. Darkness swallowed him up, the only light shining dimly behind him. A secret passage: this definitely had to be it.

But how was he supposed to see anything?

He continued to go deeper, feeling small pebbles and dirt rub against his palms and shoulders. Once he banged his head on a rock above and he cursed. How much longer until he found something. As he continued forward, he felt a change. Underneath his hands, there was a coldness. Stone. Different from the dirt he'd been crawling on. Scratching the ground with his finger nails, he felt around the stone. It was a square box. Grunting, he pulled upward, but it wouldn't budge. No, he wasn't going to get the whole thing out. It was too wedged in. Feeling around the top, he yanked on the lid.

Scarlet red light engulfed his face as he slid the top off. A small sphere sat in the center of the steel box, glowing. It was irresistible, pulling him in at first sight. Swallowing, Lloyd picked it up and stared as he turned it in his fingers. He could feel vibrations coming off the sphere and onto his skin, as though the object had its own beating heart. Its cardinal color morphed into a blood red, and his anxiety spiked.

He needed to get out of here.

Rushing, he clambered backwards, his grip tightening on the orb unwillingly. Though he wanted to drop it, leave it behind, he knew he couldn't. Finally Lloyd broke back into the sun, stumbling backwards, blinking his eyes rapidly to readjust to the light.

"I got it."

He held his hand open; a wave of nausea came over him and he swayed back and forth, off-balance.

The angel narrowed his eyes as he observed the sphere in his son's hand.

"Put it here."

Kratos held open a bag and Lloyd dropped it inside. He exhaled. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...it was just...it felt really weird."

"In what way?"

"Um...like it wanted me to take it somewhere."

Kratos watched him, silent. It unnerved the young man, the intensity of the gaze. After a moment, the angel brushed past him.

"Let's go back."

The young man nodded and they trekked back to their rheairds in silence. The sunshine hit Lloyd's face and he took a deep breath of the sweet air. He was happy to be back in the daytime, out of that cavern. It had been...disturbing. Buried in the dark like that. It was almost like someone hadn't wanted the orb to be found.

Why was that?

He shuddered.

"Lloyd."

"Yeah?" The young man hopped onto his rheaird to see his father standing next to his vehicle. The older man shifted on his legs. What was going on?

"Did you still...want to go to Katz Village?"

A big grin broke across Lloyd's face. He'd completely forgotten. And Kratos was willing to go? That was a huge surprise.

"Yeah! I totally forgot! You don't mind do you?"

"No."

"Then let's go!"

* * *

"FIGHT!"

She lunged.

The metal of her axe clanged against the sword's blade and she stuck her feet to the ground. The swordsman pushed against her and she grunted, jumping backwards, throwing him off balance. Presea assumed a defensive stance and her attacker rushed forward. The man jumped, pointing his sword downward and she leapt to the side, her pink hair streaming behind her. Swinging her axe, the woman barely missed the man's shoulder as he dodged. Again he darted towards her and she met his blade with the staff of her weapon just in time. A second sooner and he would have speared her arm. He grinned as he pressed downward. Her knees bent beneath her.

"You have a lot of spirit."

Weakening, Presea growled as she pushed back. Muscles strained but she forced her arms upward, flinging him off of her. Panting, she readied herself again for his next attack. The axe felt heavy in her hand; there was a slight tremble in her arm.

 _Dammit._

He sprinted towards her, sword low at his side. Digging her feet into the ground, Presea crouched. He jumped, twisted in the air, and swung his sword. Spinning in a circle, Presea yelled, "INFLICTION!" and her axe crashed into his weapon. The shock reverberated up her arm. She stumbled backward.

Too late.

The blade slice down her right shoulder, breaking the skin just enough to draw blood. She had left herself wide open.

"Yield." Presea whispered, dropping her axe to her side.

"Thought so."

"And the winner is...KENDRICK!"

The umpire held up the swordsman's hand and a burst of applause filled the air. Sighing, Presea turned and headed out of the arena, back to the lobby of the coliseum.

Four fights in a row had depleted her energy entirely. It had been foolish to attempt the last contest, an entirely emotional decision after two losses and one win. Her ego had pushed her to do one more so she could claim another win.

It appeared her body disagreed.

"Hey!"

The young woman turned to see her opponent jogging towards her, his blade now in his scabbard. He was tall, just a few inches taller than she with honey-colored skin and grey eyes.

"You have nice footwork and a sense of your weapon." He said. "What's your name?"

"Presea."

He outstretched one hand, brushing his black hair out of his face with the other. "The name's Kendrick."

"I know."

He chuckled. "Right, forgot about that."

Uncertain, she eyed his hand and slowly took it.

"It's nice to meet you, Presea."

His hand was warm against hers; she could feel the callouses on his palm (from his use of the sword, she inferred). After a moment, their hands slid away.

"Maybe I'll see you around for a rematch?" He asked.

"Possibly."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic. Hopefully I wasn't that bad of an adversary."

The young woman shook her head. "No. You are very skilled."

"Well, thanks for the fight." As Kendrick began to turn away, he paused and looked back at her. "You sure you want to fight with an axe?"

"Why?"

"Just a suggestion: think about trying something else. You're a bit off-balance, no offense, even though you know how to use it. Your form could be better suited to another weapon." He winked. "See ya around."

Presea watched his departing figure, then looked down at the axe in her hand. Intriguing. She hadn't thought about such a thing before, giving up her axe. It was the only weapon she knew how to use. The weapon had protected her since waking from her nightmare two years ago. But it was also the weapon she had used during her enslavement to Cruxis.

What would she use, if she were to entertain the idea that she would operate another weapon? It would take her at least forty hours (that was a generous measure of time; if she were realistic, it would be closer to 100 hours) to become at the very least a novice user of a new weapon. But if her lack of balance was the key to her current issues with combat, she would have no other choice than to choose an alternative, especially if her goal was to master her strength and regain her fighting acumen.

Yuan would know what new weapon she should learn.

 _Yuan_.

Shoulders slumping, the young woman headed out of the coliseum back to her small apartment, indifferent to the rain splashing down upon her. She hadn't spoken to him since their fight in Iselia five days ago. A flare of anger lit inside her as she recalled his revelation. He had been tracking her via her rheaird during the past month. Without her knowledge. Why had he done such a thing? Did he not feel that she needed time and space to understand her new stage of life? That she was able to take care of herself and not be treated as a fragile doll?

Even so, in some ways, there was a strangeness in his lack of presence. And not in what she would identify as relief. Something similar to...dissatisfaction? It was unclear to her what exactly it was.

Nonetheless, she still found herself embroiled by his actions. Until the half elf understood that she did not need his protection, she would not call on him nor engage in any social interaction unless necessary.

Pushing him to the sides of her mind, Presea entered her apartment and shucked off her clothes, heading straight to the shower. As she let the water rain down over her, she sighed in relief. Her muscles ached in the manner that meant they were well used. Though her losses were a disappointment, she had felt more comfortable overall on the battlefield, and that was a relief on its own. Exhaling, the young woman leaned against the shower wall. It would have been nice (was nice the correct word? It was so very vague of a term that it annoyed her) to share this information with Yuan.

As she rubbed soap across her skin, clearing it of all the sweat and dirt of the day, Presea thought on Kendrick. He had been able to give her a piece of advice, though in a somewhat patronizing manner. It could be beneficial to interview him about what weapon he believed would be best for her to focus upon. That is, if she were to see him again.

Water caught the soap bubbles and washed them off her body. She reached for the warm handle and turned the shower jet off, stepping out into the foggy bathroom and wrapping a towel around herself. In reality, regardless of who she received the information from, it was imperative that she be stronger. With Ratatosk in the world, chaos would soon reign. And she needed to be ready to fight him, just as the others were.

Then a gaggle of voices filled her ears and the world went dark.


	10. You Don't Know Everything About Me

He had arrived in Arkylia the previous night after a long flight from Iselia (the damned winds had slowed him down...among other things). Though the innkeeper had given him one of the better rooms, Kratos found sleep to be somewhat elusive, his mind ruminating on the puzzle pieces they had regarding Ratatosk, and the still empty spaces they had left to fill. The Summon Spirit was out for revenge, there was no question there. But his method...that part remained an enigma to Kratos. There was no doubt in the angel's mind that these orbs were from a time before the Great Kharlan War. What concerned him was if their meaning had been lost to the tests of time. What would that mean for their fight?

Morning came all too soon, and he readied himself for the coming journey to the Kijara Seafalls. After downing the blackest cup of coffee he could muster, the angel set out for the Chair's private airfield, where Raine would meet him. He had sent her a message when he arrived, expecting to receive a response in the morning due to the late (or early depending on how one looked at it) hour. To his surprise, the half elf texted him back in a minute, confirming the details of their trip. Of course, it made perfect sense she was awake. No doubt she was preparing for the upcoming election. He had the brief thought of asking her about it, but decided against it. Things were...there was a delicate balance between them. And that was how he intended to keep it.

"Good morning." Raine said as he arrived. She wore a brown turtle neck and black pants underneath her long, orange coat. With her hair bound up in a bun, he had full view of her alert eyes.

Grunting, he slung his pack over the backside of his vehicle and began securing it.

"I was mapping out the flight last night. I believe it would be best if we flew towards Luin, then directly towards the Seafalls."

"It would be faster if we went directly there." He answered, pulling on the straps around his pack.

"The winds would be against us."

"Then either path is the same amount of time."

"Not so. I've calculated we would gain an hour if we went towards Luin first."

He shrugged but said nothing to the contrary. The wind would get stronger once they headed east from Luin, but her mind was made up and he knew there was no dissuading it. Starting the trip with an argument would be bothersome. It was best to avoid it.

Once he finished, they hopped onto their rehairds and flew into the sky, hovering just above the capital city before shooting away. For the next four hours, they flew towards Luin, darting through the white clouds, skating on the wind currents. They kept conversation to a minimum, choosing to focus on the journey rather than engage in small talk. Momentarily, he wondered if he ought to make an effort. Bring up his situation with Lloyd and Dirk; but he didn't know how. Besides, if she wished to converse, she would initiate. So he remained silent.

After four more hours, the pair arrived at their destination. As the clouds parted before them, they found themselves flying towards the Kijara Seafalls. Waterfalls cascaded down the lush green mountain, crashing down from the flat cliffside into a lagoon at the bottom. The rivers of water fell hundreds of feet from the mountain top, the blue water intermingled with the white foam as it rushed down the cliffs and glittered in the afternoon sun.

The mountain sloped downward on its side, leading to a flat clifftop, with a full view of the Seafalls. Kratos pointed at it and Raine nodded. Simultaneously, they flew their vehicles towards the area and landed about ten feet from the edge.

"It's beautiful." Raine said, climbing off the aircraft and taking a few steps to watch nature at work. The breeze rushed by, picking her hair up and drawing it to the side of her face.

"Agreed." He joined her side, crossing his arms over his chest. The scene was magnificent; the force of the water overpowering anything and everything in its path. There were still some places in the world that awed him. This was one of them.

"I have to say, I didn't know this place existed."

"Neither did I."

"I'm surprised. I thought you'd seen all of the world by now." Raine tucked her hands into the pockets of her long orange jacket, still watching the waterfalls.

"No." He paused, then continued, "Though I have visited the island south of Thoda Geyser."

"Oh? That is pretty remote. Is there anything there?"

"It is untouched."

"I'd like to go there and see. I'm sure it would be interesting to see what the world would have been like had the elves left Aselia alone."

He did not respond, watching her out of the corner of his eye. There was the tiniest crinkle at the edge of her eye and the slightest upturn of her mouth. It seemed he was not the only one pleased with the destination of their trip. Minutes passed and the pair stood in unspeaking, absorbing the scene, listening to the water clatter against the rocks and splash into the pool below.

"Why did you go? To the island, that is." Raine asked as she faced him.

"After Anna died."

Though he kept his eyes straight ahead, the angel could feel her eyes on him. Only a few times had they discussed Anna, and it had solely been in the context of Lloyd, not about Kratos' relationship with the human woman, or how her death affected him. And while he did not speak to anyone about it (save for Lloyd on occasion), something inside him wished to avoid such conversation with Raine at all cost.

"Considering the location of the other orbs, we should find the orb in the cliffside." He said, pointing at the waterfalls.

"Are you saying we need to go through the waterfall?"

He swept his eyes towards hers and saw the shadow of fear. "You could stay."

In fact, he preferred she did.

"No. I'll go."

"Are you certain?"

Taking a deep breath, she clenched her hands into fists and nodded. "I want to see one of these orbs myself."

It seemed the desire to study antiquities was winning against the long held fear of water. Inwardly, he smiled. Some things never changed. He appreciated that eternal curiosity of hers.

"How are we getting down there?"

"Flying."

"What?!" Raine's eyes widened.

"How else?"

Pursing her lips, she did not respond. Perhaps she was reconsidering her decision.

Good.

"As I said, you can remain here."

"No. I will be fine."

Her body stood resolute, but there was a tremor in her voice. Why couldn't she just stay? The angel would have insisted, but he knew she would fight him . It had been difficult enough to get her to accept that he was coming on this trip. And then the brief debate on which path to take to get to the Seafalls hadn't helped. Another heated discussion would only escalate the existing existing tension, and that he did not desire.

"What do I need to do?"

Assuming an expression of indifference, Kratos answered: "Put your arms around my neck."

Exhaling, Raine slowly did as she was told. They locked eyes for a moment. Kratos watched, waiting. Then she averted her eyes, gazing at the falls once more. As her body closed the distance between his, his heart beat quickened at the touch, but he kept his body straight. His arms encircled her waist; he felt the smallest jump in her body at the contact.

"Ready?" He asked in a low voice.

The half elf glared up at him, her silver hair flying around her face. "Do. Not. Drop. Me."

"Rest assured, I will not. I have seen your wrath."

A smirk flashed across her face. Relief washed through him.

Pushing off the ground, the Seraphim opened his wings and guided them into the air. A gust of air pressed upward against his feathers, shooting them higher into the sky than necessary. He could feel Raine's fingers dig into his shoulders and he wrapped his arms tighter around her body. Though he wanted to see the falls from up high, he would not dally knowing how anxious she was between the flying and the water. As the angel dove towards the falls, he could feel her turn her face into his chest and her body stiffen. Slowing as he reached the fall, he whispered that they were about to pass through the waterfall. Against his chest, he felt the slightest movement of what he interpreted to be a nod. Bending forward slightly, he darted through the water, taking the brunt of it on his back, though some droplets fell onto her head and shoulders. She flinched.

Now behind the falls, he swept his gaze around. Somewhere, there must have been a ledge that they could stand on, assuming that there was a cave somewhere along the rock face. It was darker than he liked; the shadows of the rippling streams on the crags played tricks on his eyes. Raine's elven vision would be sharper. And more useful.

"I need your eyes."

"What?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Hesitating, he said, "I...need assistance seeing any switchbacks."

"You can't see them?"

"It's...dark."

Looking up at him, she grinned, "Is the famed Seraphim getting old?"

Apparently, despite the circumstances, she could still tease him.

Raising his eyebrows, he said, "Would you like to see the seafalls from higher up?"

"Don't you dare!"

He smirked.

Slowly, he flew along the wall, giving Raine time to examine the ragged and worn earthen walls. Minutes passed as they moved, the sounds of water falling behind them echoing in their ears. Kratos felt his arms begin to tire, but did not falter in his hold of her. Casting a glance over his shoulder through the waterfall, he saw the sun had begun falling faster through the sky, leaving orange streaks in its wake. They would soon lose daylight and need to camp for the evening. Ideally, they would find the orb before. Otherwise, they would need to find it in the morning before departing for the Grace Cathedral. Also, Raine had to be in Meltokio in two days, and a delay would cause problems.

"There." The half elf undid one of her arms from around his neck (he held her tighter to support her) and pointed into the cliffside. He flew closer to where she guided him. There it was, the same strange symbol carved into the scars of the wall. And underneath was a cave opening.

Kratos flew into the cave and landed on the soft dirt. Simultaneously, they removed their arms from each other, stepping backwards to have their own space once more.

Their eyes met.

A blush dusted over Raine's cheeks. Clearing her throat, she said, "Thank you for flying me down here."

He nodded, keeping his eyes on her. Dragging his eyes from hers, Kratos peered into the cave, searching for some sort of light in the black. There was none.

As if reading his mind, Raine tapped her staff. "Light." The top of the Scepter blazed to life, white luminescence filling the cavern. She led the way deeper into the cave and he followed, putting his hand on his sword's hilt.

Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they continued further inside. How far did it go? And what would they find? He kept his ears alert for any noise out of place; he did not want any surprises. After a few more minutes of walking, they could see the end of the cave, the light flickering over some object at the closure.

As they neared it, it became clear: it was a large chest. Raine bent down in front of it and examined it. It looked ordinary: a large steel box with a curved top, similar to the one Lloyd had described. A huge lock hung from the front, dark orange from rust and weathering. The half elf fiddled with the lock for a few minutes, then glanced at him. "Can you break it?" Kratos nodded. She stepped backward and he pulled out his sword. With one sweeping motion, he brought his blade down onto the lock and metal on metal clanged against one another. The lock fell to the side, broken.

Raine knelt and pushed the lid off the top of the chest. A green light filled the cavern.

Leaning over, the young woman put her hands into the chest. He watched, his stomach slowly crunching in on itself. She pulled out an object: a sphere. The orb glowed neon green in her hands, bathing her face in its light. Deliberately, she turned it around in her palms, her face enraptured, eyes roaming its figure and fingers touching every inch of its surface. As she rotated it, its color turned to a dark, murky green.

He didn't want her to hold it any longer.

Quickly, Kratos took it from Raine, its coldness sending a shiver up his spine, and dropped it into the bag at his side where the purple orb already was. He could feel the bag buzz as the two orbs touched each other. Pulling the drawstring, the green light disappeared from sight.

She blinked. "It's evil. Isn't it?"

"I think so."

"Do you know what it is?"

The angel shook his head. "No."

"I trust you aren't lying."

He narrowed his eyes; he did not like the tone of her voice. "Why would I lie?"

"You didn't share that you knew Ratatosk was inside Zelos." Raine creased her lips into a line, the light of her staff highlighting the glimmer of distrust in her stare. "I'm not blind, Kratos. You and Yuan seemed to already know about Ratatosk."

"We suspected."

"So, let me ask you again. Do you know what this is? All of it?" Raine put her free hand on her hip, scrutinizing him.

"No."

"Alright."

"I wouldn't lie to you."

His voice was low as the words passed his lips, quicker than he had time to keep them to himself. Her blue eyes widened slightly and her lips parted the tiniest bit. That surprised her.

And him.

"Do you think Mithos knew what they are? Knew they existed?" Raine turned away and walked towards the entrance of the cavern.

"Doubtful." The angel matched her stride, still considering the words he'd just said.

"So the question is, why does Ratatosk know? Does that mean they are from before the Kharlan War?"

"Possibly."

She had reached the same conclusions as he had. He wasn't surprised.

"The Summon Spirits must know. I assume that's what you plan to discuss with Origin?"

He nodded.

"Then I will accompany you and Yuan to visit him."

"That is not necessary."

"Why not? Are you hiding something?" The half elf stopped at the opening of the cave and turned her face towards his.

"No." He eyed her, irritated.

"Then...?"

There was a challenge in her voice, a challenge he did not want to accept. What he and Yuan would learn from Origin, he did not know. But he knew for certain that whatever it was, it would mean danger. The angel wanted to minimize the risk that it would have on Lloyd, Colette...and Raine.

"Sun has already set. We need to get back to the rheairds. If we leave now, we can make it to Balacruf town in two hours." Kratos said, directing his view to the landscape beyond the waterfall.

An expression of annoyance crossed her porcelain face, but she said: "Why don't we stay here for the night?"

"What?"

"Not here specifically, but down in the cove."

The angel scrutinized her; she was sincere. "You want to stay."

"It's beautiful here. Quiet." Raine crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't look at me that way. I'm serious."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You're going to be next to the waterfall."

"Not next to. In the vicinity of."

"I am surprised."

"You don't know everything about me, Kratos Aurion."

The man raised an eyebrow, and the woman met his questioning gaze with one of provocation. He would have liked to dive further into that topic, but thought better of it.

"Are you certain?" He asked.

"Yes. Besides, it would be nice to spend an evening under the stars."

"Then let's go."

He flew them back up to the top of the cliffside — Raine did not hang on so tightly to him this time, though he kept a steady grip on her — and they boarded their rehairds. As the sun disappeared underneath the horizon, the pair touched down at the base of the waterfall some twenty feet away from the shore, the oranges and purples streaking the sky providing the last bit of natural light left from the day.

As Kratos began to unload his gear from the vehicle, he cast a glance over his shoulder at the woman, who was doing the same with his things.

"I remember you not being fond of water."

"Very diplomatic." She smiled at him and took her sleeping bag off the carriage.

Walking a few feet from the rehairds, the angel took a seat and began the process of starting a fire.

Placing her pack opposite of him, she said, "Any body of water that I could find myself drowning in, I tend to stay away."

Raine was not one to admit her weaknesses, he knew that well. Why was she so casual with it now?

It was disarming.

"Why would you tell me this?"

"You have already witnessed it yourself." Raine shrugged as she unrolled her sleeping bag.

True. He did recall her reaction to the washtubs as they made their way to Thoda Geyser a few years ago. It was unparalleled to anything he had ever seen before. But it was understandable, given the traumatic experience from her childhood.

"You said you wouldn't lie to me." Raine paused, "I believe we trust each other. Have I misread that?"

"You have not."

The fire flamed to life between them, its yellow and orange flames licking the night air. Silence settled over the two as they worked in conjunction to prepare for their evening stay. It had been many months since he'd spent a night in the wilderness. It pleased him that he had the chance to do it again; he hadn't realized how caged he'd felt by the constant work from one facility to the next; the stays in local inns and the business that came with his responsibilities. Something about nature was freeing to him.

Inevitably, memories of being on the run with Anna came to the forefront of his mind. Most of the nights had been spent sleeping in trees, or in the safety of caves, ultimately any underbrush that created full cover. He had spent many of those nights listening for Cruxis soldiers in pursuit, his heart pounding and body exhausted. But a single smile on that woman's face made everything worth it.

"Here."

He looked up from the flames to see Raine offering a sandwich. He took it with a nod.

Grabbing a sandwich of her own, she sat on top of her sleeping bag. "So, at the cliff."

Taking a bit of his sandwich, he waited for her clarification.

"You asked for my help looking for the cavern."

Once again, he did not speak.

"If I'm not mistaken, angelic vision should be sharper than any."

He set his eyes on her.

"You are aging."

"I am fine." He said harshly.

"It's alright to admit it. I won't tell anyone." She smiled mischievously and took a bite, the firelight giving her an orange glow. Not unattractive; it enhanced the structured lines of her cheekbones and the fullness of her lips.

"You're enjoying this."

"Maybe."

He glared.

"When did it start?" Her playful attitude disappeared.

Finishing his sandwich, he murmured, "The past year."

"Does that mean your Cruxis Crystal is weakening?"

Was that a touch of concern in her voice?

"No. As any body ages, so does mine. The aging process will be...longer, even though I will live for many more years to come."

"How old would you be now? If you were not using your Cruxis Crystal?"

"Isn't it impolite to ask about age?"

"Only if it's to a woman." The mirth had returned to her eyes once more, sparkling with delight.

He returned with a smirk. "Thirty."

"Ah."

"What?"

"Just curiosity."

"Why?"

"You do give off a certain air." Raine looked at him from beneath her lashes.

He cleared his throat as his heart beat quickened. "Which is?"

"Never mind."

"You owe me an explanation."

"I owe you nothing." The wry smile was small, but filled with amusement.

Opening his mouth, he readied a response, then stopped. The words, though joking, reverberated through him. He averted his gaze from the half elf, looking out into the darkness, his mind changing the meaning of the conversation. "No. You do not."

"Don't feel sorry for me. I'm fine."

"I don't."

"Then what?"

"It is my fault you are injured." Kratos turned his face back to hers, expressionless, the pain of his failing bursting within.

"You've already apologized for something you needn't." The woman said, her voice flat and eyes level.

"Had I fully caught you, you wouldn't be in pain."

"Had I not jumped off, I would've died anyway. I'd rather be alive and in pain, than not."

The image came to him as clear as day: A knife to her neck, a combination of fear and defiance in her eyes, words on her lips, then the slightest nod and she was gone.

"Is that why you left? Because you believed you are to blame?"

Though the intensity of her gaze disturbed him, he did not look away, as if his own stare answered the question.

"That's the most bullheaded thing I've heard." Raine huffed, crossing her arms.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me."

His gaze hardened. "I did not protect you, as it was my duty."

"Did you miss the fact that I put myself in that danger? It wasn't any fault of your own." Her eyes blazed.

Kratos said nothing, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Or was it shame? These days, they felt almost indistinguishable.

"Is that the only reason you left?" She questioned.

"Why else?"

"You tell me."

"Clearly, you have some thoughts of your own."

Raine said nothing, her stare severe, as if she were waiting for something. Was he supposed to respond? With what exactly?

"I'm going to sleep. See you in the morning." The woman tucked herself into her sleeping back and turned away from him.

As he pulled himself into his sleeping bag, he thought of Anna once more. If she were here what would she think? What would she say to him about any of it? Was there even something to say?

Would she hate him for it?

Growling, he pushed the thoughts and guilt away and shifted onto his back, contemplating the stars that twinkled in the sky. None of it mattered in comparison to the darkness that would overtake the world if they didn't stop it.

The devil was out there, and it was waiting for them.

* * *

"So...are you not going to say anything this whole trip?" Sheena asked as she dismounted her rehaird. Tightening her ponytail, the young woman looked at Seles, her eyes flashing with annoyance.

The half elf tossed a glance in the ninja's direction, shrugged, and walked towards the Abbey, her red hair flying in the wind behind her.

Clenching her hands into fists, Sheena stomped after the young woman, gritting her teeth as the cold wind grazed her skin. For the past day and a half, she had tried to be patient with Zelos' sister. It was obvious that Seles still held a grudge against Sheena for hanging onto the orb (but really...was that necessary?), and probably still believed Sheena didn't care enough about Zelos' life (and that was obviously not true at all and she would prove it to Seles). Which is why, Sheena believed, the young half elf was giving her the silent treatment.

Which was absolutely ridiculous.

Besides, they had more important things to worry about. Between Seles' rally and the infinite rain, their trip to the Abbey had been delayed by two days, which could only mean Ratatosk was getting stronger and Zelos weaker.

Sheena closed her eyes and summoned his smile to the front of her mind. What she wouldn't give to see him in the flesh right now.

After a twelve hour flight across Tethe'alla, a sleepless night in the small town of Terracotta, and now an early morning trip to make it to the Abbey by midday, the Ambassador was grumpy. Grumpy and hungry. And Seles' childish antics — because they definitely were — were only making it worse. After all, they had a mission, and this mission in some way (it had to), contributed to the ultimate goal of rescuing Zelos.

Ahead, the Abbey loomed, stretching upward, determined to meet the sky. An enormous, dark building, it sat on the cliffside next to the ocean, isolated from any type of civilization, as if warning visitors to stay away. As the two women neared the building, Sheena's eyes took in its immensity. The roof was lined with statues of scowling gargoyles, grey stone turned ash-colored from wind erosion, and the grounds immediately surrounding it were barren, a stark contrast to the greenery lining the hills only a few miles away.

As they reached the door, Sheena said, "What are we going to say?"

Seles rolled her eyes and shook her head. Sheena clenched her jaw and said nothing. If that was the game the half elf wanted to play, so bit. She would as well.

Taking out a keychain from her pocket, Seles slipped a large, ornate silver key into the keyhole of the bronze doorway and turned. Creaking, the doors opened automatically, inviting the pair inside the ancient monastery.

The half elf strode forward, Sheena on her heels. As they passed through the main corridor, a chorus of gasps reach Sheena's ears and she turned her head to the right. Nuns had stopped in place at the sight of Seles, many aghast, others awed. Why were they so astonished?

"Lady Seles! I never thought I'd see you again." A tall, elderly woman strode forward to meet the redhead halfway. Her light green bonnet framed her face perfectly, and her black habit fell loose to the floor.

"Neither did I but here I am, Mother Laura." Seles crossed her arms in front of her body, straightening her spine, and slightly turning up her nose.

"What can I do for you?" Laura asked. "Oh, Lady Sheena! I did not see you there. Welcome. May the Goddess shine down upon you."

Surprised, Sheena gave the older woman a smile. She seemed nice enough.

"Thank you."

As Seles continued her conversation with Mother Laura, the ninja swept her eyes around the floor of the sanctuary. It was plain, quiet, and devoid of life, save for a few nuns tending to a planter containing withering ferns in the corner. The young woman had only been to the Abbey once: with her friends when they visited Seles long ago. That had been a short trip. Now, she had the opportunity to really soak in the setting. And it was...bleak.

This was where Seles had been banished to for the majority of her life. And it was depressing. No wonder she did not come back to visit.

"I need access to the catacombs." Seles said, breaking through Sheena's observational thoughts. Stunned, she turned, swallowing. The catacombs? Visiting graves was not on her list of ideal things to do, much less do at all.

"But...why?" Mother Laura asked.

"That is not your concern."

Clearly, Seles thought the orb was in the catacombs. She hoped it was not.

Mentally, she scolded herself. It didn't matter how she felt. If it helped Zelos, that's all that mattered. Even if it meant possibly facing a few ghosts.

Sheena plastered on a smile and directed herself towards Laura. "If you don't mind, there's something we'd like to look for down there. We would be very appreciative if you gave us the key."

Seles gave her a sideglance, but said nothing. Inwardly, Sheena smirked. After all, being Ambassador did mean she had to be diplomatic sometimes.

Laura gave her a wary look but nodded. "Alright. This way, please."

The nun led the way through the sanctuary towards the back, where she opened a door that led to a long hallway. As they walked down the corridor, Sheena studied the shabbiness of the tapestries and the fraying carpets. Hard times had befallen the Abbey. Now that Colette and Seles were the heads of the Church, couldn't they give funds to Mother Laura to fix up the place?

Maybe Seles didn't want to. Sheena didn't blame her.

As they headed through another door, the trio came to a staircase that spiraled downward into darkness. The ninja felt her stomach drop out.

Grabbing a lantern hanging from the wall, Laura lit the inner wick and began descending the steps.

"You can stay here if you want." Seles said, a smirk on her face.

Sheena glared. "No way. I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself."

The High Priestess followed the nun and finally Sheena did as well (after a half a minute of hesitation). She gripped the railing as they walked down the stairs, heart hammering in her chest.

Being so close to death...memories of her first encounter of Volt swarmed through her. Her vision clouded. Ear-splitting screams; heart-wrenching shrieks; agonized cries. So many bodies; faces twisted in agony and horror. They were forever seared into her memory.

It had been all her fault.

She didn't know if she could ever forgive herself.

"I will leave you here. Please let me know if there are any questions I can answer." Laura murmured as she finished lighting the first four torches of the tomb, leaving the rest in blackness. "Please be careful. There is much history down here." Then she turned and ascended the stairs, leaving the two young women alone.

"Let's get on with this." Sheena said. Taking one of the torches off the wall, she began to light the remaining torches in the crypt.

"You really don't like this, do you?"

"No."

"Like I said, you can wait upstairs. I can do this." Seles walked to the center of the chamber, sweeping her head left to right, taking in the scene.

"Thanks but I want to help." Sheena replied, putting the torch back in its holder. "Otherwise I wouldn't have come."

A small bloom of relief coursed through her as the darkness receded. With the lights on, it seemed less daunting. The air was still; there was a musty quality to it. She could tell that it was not often visited. The walls were an orange and brown. Coffins lined both walls, all the way to the end of the tomb. Each bronze box glinted in the firelight; the sign of Martel was engraved on their covers, infused with a golden paint as per the custom.

Seles crossed her arms over her chest. "I know you're just here to keep an eye on me. I'm not going to do anything, regarding Ratatosk. So you can go."

"Look. I know that you're mad at me. But I'm on your side."

"If you were, why didn't you say anything about rescuing him? They were talking about killing him!" The half elf demanded.

"Seles, it's not that simple. I was in shock." Sheena said, struggling to keep her voice level.

"That's an excuse. It's obvious that you don't really care about him."

"Excuse me? I would do anything to get Zelos back right now!"

"So would I. How does that change anything?" Seles spat. "I can't believe that my brother would give his heart to someone who CLEARLY does not value it." Seles spat.

"I do!"

"Prove it! Tell me exactly why I should believe you."

Silence.

Sheena's mind whirled, trying to come up with words. She had to say something. But what? Looking at Seles, the ninja could see the anger in the younger woman's face. The pain.

Her heart softened.

It was the same pain the ninja had felt upon learning what had happened to Zelos.

Swallowing, Sheena leaned against the wall and turned her gaze down to her feet. She thought about the last time she had seen the ex-Chosen. They had argued, and she had ignored his apology. He had promised to make it up to her when he got back.

But he never came back.

"I'm scared." The young woman whispered.

"Of what?"

"Of losing him."

"So am I. So what?"

Wrapping her arms around herself, Sheena hesitated, "I didn't know that this...what's between me and Zelos, was going to happen. Any of it."

"Yeah, he told me." Seles crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You know what Lloyd and Colette have? I never thought I'd ever have that, especially after what happened with Volt." Biting her lip, she could feel the warmth of shame rush through her cheeks. "I didn't think anyone would want to be with a murderer."

Squeezing her eyes shut, the young woman remembered when she had recounted the original incident to Zelos. He'd wanted to know every single detail she remembered. Every single person who had cursed her. And he hadn't run away.

He had held her instead.

"He...made me feel safe." Sheena whispered.

Then she was no longer in the crypt, but in Yuan's kitchen months ago, when Zelos first shared how he felt about her. It would be forever cemented in her mind, that moment together in the kitchen in the middle of the night. She had been unable to sleep, thinking about him more than she wanted to. And of course, as fate would have it, he had appeared. There was a minor attempt at small talk, but they both knew what lay between them.

Her heart had pounded in her chest; blood roared in her ears. His presence had made it difficult to concentrate, knowing that they were alone together. And then there he was, staring her straight in the eye, refusing to look away. The resolution in his voice had taken her aback and had sent a tremble of anticipation up her spine. The words he'd said had been unimaginable, wonderful; until that moment, she hadn't realized she had been waiting to hear them. Needing to hear them. Zelos hadn't held anything back. He had been completely direct with her, though she heard the slight tremor in his voice, the only sign of vulnerability.

And, in that moment, she knew she wanted to protect him.

"He was honest with me. He trusted me and..." The young woman shook her head. "I'm not really sure what's going to happen to him. And that makes me afraid. Because I don't know what would happen if he..."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned away, brushing them into the air. It was embarrassing, breaking down like this, even if it was in front of Seles.

"Goddess, I'm pathetic."

"Stop it. You are not." Seles whispered. "I don't know what I'd do either if he is gone."

Throat closed, Sheena looked up to see the High Priestess' eyes were glossy, almost blurry in the firelight.

"He's my only family. He was the only one who accepted me when I was growing up. Even after everything that happened between our mothers." She took a breath. "When did you start to have feelings for him?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I always thought he was cute." Sheena smiled, then narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare tell him that."

"I won't. You'd never hear the end of it otherwise." Seles laughed. After a moment, a solemn expression came over her features. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been mean to you."

"It's okay." Sheena smiled.

They were silent for a moment, sharing a smile that they only knew the meaning of.

"Okay, enough with this touchy feely stuff. We need to find that orb." Seles whipped around.

"So what are we looking for?"

"We should find the symbol somewhere here, on the ground or in the wall are the most obvious options. Hopefully not on one of the graves."

Sheena wrinkled her nose. The High Priestess rolled her eyes.

"If it's in one of them, I'll take a look."

"Thank you."

The two women searched the room, looking for any sign of the strange symbol. Sheena crawled and swept a torch over the floor tiles while Seles went from wall to wall, eyes moving across the chipped brick, scouring for the marker. Minutes passed as the pair worked in silence.

Finally, Sheena rose from her feet.

"Did you find anything?" Seles asked.

"No."

"Shit."

"I guess that means it's probably in one of the graves." Sheena said warily.

"Ugh. This just got disgusting." Seles wandered over to the first one. "Let's push the top off, then I can move things around while you look."

Bracing herself, Sheena grabbed the underside of the lid and lifted as Seles grabbed the other side. It was heavy; her forearms trembled under the weight (she was thankful they both still had their exspheres). Carefully, the two lay it on the ground next to the coffin. Silently, they looked down at the contents of the grave. A skeleton greeted their curious looks, its dusty bones a mellow yellow. Gently, Seles leaned down and began to push the bones to one side of the grave.

Sheena watched the younger woman, her eyes following every move.

"Don't you feel..."

"Like I'm committing blasphemy? Absolutely. But I trust Martel knows why and will forgive me." Seles responded flatly as she continued to move the bones around. "I'll ask Collette later what she thinks I should do in penance."

A pang of remorse floated through Sheena. She understood the conflicting emotions Seles most likely was feeling at the moment. The people of Mizuho held their own belief of not disturbing the dead: should one enter a grave and **disturb** the deceased, they would be cursed to limbo, unable to reincarnate and reenter the world, as was per the natural order of things.

"Do you see anything?"

"No." Sheena replied as she swept her hands across the bottom, brushing away dirt and dust.

"On to the next one."

After replacing the lid, they moved to the second grave, repeating the exercise of opening it. Seles dove her hands into the space once more, carefully handling the bones as Sheena began to search.

"You and Colette are pretty close."

"Reorganizing the church wasn't easy. There were things we argued about, sometimes we couldn't agree, but overall, I think we've created an institution worthy of its people. The teachings are no longer being warped by—"

"I found it." Sheena interrupted.

"Alright. Um...there's not a lot of room, so I'll collect the bones in the corner."

"Are you sure?"

Clenching her jaw, Seles nodded. Disrupting the natural orientation of the skeleton, Seles collected the bones and slid them into a clump at the end of the coffin, making way for Sheena. There, in the center, was the glint of silver. Hands trembling, the ninja gripped the top of the box with her fingertips and pulled. Slowly, the lid slid off to reveal—

Nothing.

"What?"

Sheena stuck her hand in the box, feeling around its cold interior. Maybe it was farther down than she thought. But nothing greeted her hand. Just cold air.

It was empty. There was no orb.

"It's not here."

"It should be here. It has to be here." Seles said. "You don't think someone took it, do you?"

"That's exactly what I think." The ambassador replied as they replaced the lid of the grave.

Anger bloomed in her heart. They needed that orb. It was supposed to be here, as Ratatosk had said himself. That was one of the few keys to Zelos' freedom. Where on Aselia was it?

"Do you think Mother Laura knows?" Sheena asked.

"Possibly. I don't kn—"

 _Good enough_. Sheena stormed out of the crypt and up the stairs.

"Mother Laura." The woman called out as she b-lined through the building towards the front sanctuary.

The older woman turned around, her expression grave. "Yes...?"

"Where is it?" Sheena demanded, her eyes blazing as she stopped directly in front of the old woman.

"What are you talking about?"

"In the catacombs. The orb."

Mother Laura frowned, shifting her face to the side to avoid Sheena's stare."Oh that..."

"Yes, that."

"That's why you didn't want us to go down there, did you?" Seles interjected, her arms crossed as she came to stand next to Sheena.

"Please, I can explain."

"Then explain."

"Five years ago, we were...running out of money. And I knew that thing was down there." Mother Laura's shoulders sagged and she wrung her hands.

"Do you know what it is?" Sheena asked, her anger abating the tiniest bit.

"No. All I know is that it is a legend of an artifact hidden in the catacombs."

"Who hid it?"

"According to the scrolls, a woman named Kimbell Draeys."

"Who is that?"

"Upon Martel's Tree, I don't know. The old scrolls didn't say either. They just commanded us to guard it through the centuries." Mother Laura exhaled and tucked her hands into the pockets of her black dress.

"And clearly you didn't."

"It was a hard time for us. The pope cut off our funding. If we had no money, I would've had to turn out all of the nuns. Including you Lady Seles."

"Doubtful. Not unless you wanted to go to prison." Seles sneered, putting her hands on her hips.

Mother Laura winced.

"So what happened to it?" Sheena said.

"We sold it. I mean I sold it. To a man named was Alex Beck."

"Do you know what he did with it?"

"No. I only met him because one of our nuns had a history of...underground gambling."

"So this Alex is some kind of broker." Seles smirked. "Well...looks like we need to find him. Thanks, _mother_. Next time, don't sell priceless artifacts. It is against Church policy, you know."

"It's pretty tacky too." Sheena added.

Ignoring the please of Mother Laura, the two women turned and strode out of the Abbey.

Sheena kept her gaze straight ahead, her thoughts circling on this mysterious Alex Beck. Who was he? And how would they find him? Chances were he didn't have the orb in his possession any longer (it had been five hears ago). But, if they could find him, maybe he would be able to direct them to whomever bought it.

"That was pretty cool." Seles said. "You know, sticking it to Mother Laura."

"I don't think I was sticking it to her..." Sheena blushed. "I just wanted answers."

"I'm betting you keep my brother on a tight leash."

"Maybe." Sheena gave her a smug look.

"I think we're going to get a long just fine." Seles winked.

* * *

The last few days had been rather difficult for the High Priestess. As she exited the Palmacosta cathedral and headed across the main square, the blonde sighed. Between her annual tour of Sylvarant visiting parishes and their congregations, and now the swarm of questions regarding Seles' Half Elven Rights movement in Tethe'alla, Colette was a little...overwhelmed. Not that she would ever admit it. She didn't want anyone to worry about her, especially Lloyd. And the young woman knew she could take care of herself, no matter the obstacle.

 _Though, it would be nice to have Lloyd here._

Shielding her eyes from the bright sun that rained down on the coastal city, she wished Seles had told her before the rally had happened. Not because of the politics of the half elven rights movement. She would support her spiritual sister in any way possible, that would never be a question. But why had the half elf kept it from the ex-Chosen? They told each other almost everything. Seles was one of the few who Colette confided in when she and Lloyd became estranged shortly after the Journey of Regeneration. And Seles was the only other apart from Lloyd that knew Colette woke from nightmares of Miguel curving his blade across her cheek. The young woman was in the habit of telling Seles' her secrets, so why did Seles not feel the same?

It was confusing. And hurtful.

When the young woman reached the middle of the square, she stopped, watching the bustle around her, men, women, and children to get to their destinations. Only two months ago the city had been the sight of a terrible, tragic attack. Images of the injured flashed across her mind; she recalled the many burned and disfigured by the bomb. Tears dotted her eyes; even now with the city healed, she could not help the overwhelming emotion take over, the emotional memories from that day. She had discovered a latent angel power: she had the ability to sing to bring healing. It hadn't been much at that time, just enough to still pain in those who were injured. Since then, she'd practiced a few times in secret, and each time her voice was stronger, the song longer, the greater the healing to those she concentrated upon.

Regardless, she was simply thankful that the city had returned to peace, and everyone was safe.

Which was exactly why they had to defeat Ratatosk. The wind whistled past her ear and she shivered. It would be horrible if people got hurt. Tucking her hands in her pockets, she resumed her course, heading towards the Palmacosta Academy.

It wasn't exactly what the Professor had said, but maybe if Genis weren't busy, he could come with her to where the orb was. Besides, she wasn't entirely sure where it was and it would be so helpful to have him along. Not to mention fun. Since the Erinyes were caught, Colette hadn't had much time to hang out with the half elf, with her duties and him going back to school. And all of her free time was devoted to Lloyd. Honestly, she felt guilty that she was neglecting her friend. And this would be the perfect way for them to spend some time together.

Hopefully the Professor wouldn't be too mad.

Entering the Academy, the blonde walked through the East Wing towards the dormitories. As she passed through the corridor, students stopped and stared. Smiling, she greeted them with a friendly 'hello'. Still after two years she was not used to all of the obvious attention (and the gawking), and Seles had helped her feel a little more comfortable during these times. Besides, it was nice meeting new people. It was one of the things she enjoyed most about her position, being able to connect with people all the time and hear their stories.

Walking up to the reception desk, Colette clasped her hands in front of her. "Hi, there."

A green-haired young man sat at the desk, eyes cast downward at a very large textbook. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Genis Sage?"

"You're not gonna find him." He said, still not looking up.

"Um, is he in class? I don't mind waiting."

"No, I haven't seen him. Think he said he was going on some sort of trip."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Do you know where he went?"

"No."

"How long ago did he leave?" The young woman fidgeted with her hands.

"Like a couple days ago? I dunno."

"And no one's tried to look for him? Has this been reported to anyone?"

"Why? He's smart. He can take care of himself."

Colette narrowed her eyes. She could hear the scorn in the youth's voice. She knew why he was so indifferent: because Genis was a half elf.

"What's your name?"

"Who's asking?"

"The High Priestess of Sylvarant." She didn't like to use her position, but now it was necessary. Her friend was in danger.

Gerald's head shot up and his bulged. "Oh-h-h goddess, I'm so sor—"

"I want you to go straight to the Dean of Students and tell him Genis is gone right now. I will also speak with him about your conduct." She said, imitating Seles and using her most authoritative voice.

He swallowed. "Yes ma'am."

"And I suggest you revisit the teachings of Martel. They include love and acceptance for _all_."

Color flushed through the youth's cheeks. Nodding, Gerald rose and hurried away, glancing back over his shoulder as he went.

Ice traveled through her veins. Genis had gone after the orb by himself. It had been a few days already and he hadn't come back. And he hadn't contacted anyone, which could only mean something was wrong.

Heart pounding, the Priestess pulled out her holocom. The Professor needed to know. Quickly, her fingers touched the small screen and pulled up a conversation with her mentor. As she began to type out a message, her fingers stopped, hovering above the keyboard. Raine would only get worried about Genis and come back from her trip, of getting the two orbs. And they needed the orbs to stop Ratatosk and save everyone. But not telling Raine about Genis felt wrong.

The angel stared at the screen, stuck. What should she do?

Lloyd. She could call him to come help her. Surely that would be a good compromise. If Lloyd were with her, they would definitely find Genis.

Her heart deflated. No, she couldn't contact Lloyd. She couldn't drag him away from Dirk, not when the dwarf truly needed him now. That would be selfish of the young woman.

No, she'd go after Genis on her own. And if it was bad, she'd tell Lloyd. Then Raine.

* * *

A/N: The plot thickens...I'm probably going to start shortening chapters to two episodes instead of three so they aren't hella long, and I can update probably more often. Anyways, leave some love please (^_^)


	11. A Piece of Cake

Genis was in trouble. A whole lot of trouble. It hadn't exactly been his most brilliant idea, but he thought it would work. He had found the location after some sleuthing (okay, not that much, but enough that it made perfect sense), acquired the equipment to get there, and used the spells to find what he was looking for (sort of); it was a total slam dunk.

At least, it had appeared that way. Clearly, the teenager realized he hadn't thought of all the possible consequences, and now he was stuck in this grotto.

Yup. Not his smartest move.

The biggest problem? No one knew where he was. No one suspected a thing. Since his holocom wasn't working, there was no one to come rescue the half elf. All this happened 'cause he wanted to get the orb himself and prove to Raine he wasn't a kid anymore. Well he wasn't, but this sure wasn't going to help his case.

 _Dammit._

It had been two days and he still hadn't any idea of how to escape. Goddess, if Raine ever found out he was here — that was, if he even got out — she'd definitely ground his ass for the next five years (which wouldn't totally work since he was living at the Academy and she wasn't, but he knew there was some way that she could make his life hell). So he had to get out and fly back to Palmacosta before she found out.

And also not die.

At least he'd had the foresight to bring a bunch of food and water with him (though it would last only for so long, probably a few more days) and his camping gear. Otherwise, he would've been in hotter water (was that a thing people said?).

Getting shut in the grotto wasn't what he'd anticipated. Much less, not find the orb. But he was sure — completely sure — that the orb was supposed to be here. The symbol was over the cavern door; the silver box at the back of it. But the artifact was gone. The chest had been opened with something like a crowbar? He didn't really know anything about that stuff but it was clear the box had been forced open, and now the sphere was missing.

Add that to the list of things that sucked. Especially since he, and everyone else, had no idea where it was. Who else would've even known about this place, much less that this creepy artifact existed? Unless it was someone like Raine — she kinda knew everything there was to know — Genis hadn't the foggiest idea.

Between attempts to escape, the half elf mulled over who the thief could be. However, he wasn't getting anywhere with that. Logically speaking, it had to be someone who really wanted the orb, considering everything he had to do to get to the cavern himself (which had been a bit of an ordeal).

 _When he arrived at Eventide Isle, Genis was surprised to find it busy. Not like Academy busy, where students would run past each other in the hall to make it to class, but Arkylia busy, where you could hardly move in the marketplace because there were so many people. From what he could see, the island was a tourist destination: people left and right walking around, taking pictures of the beautiful landscape, and sunning themselves on the nearby beaches while children built sandcastles and splashed around in the blue water. Twenty feet from the dock he saw a visitor's center with a small line of people waiting for the chance to talk to a teller._

 _It was weird; being so close to the island, he had no idea that people came to enjoy the beaches. However, he wasn't exactly at school to mess around, which was why he probably didn't know. He was at the Academy to study so he could go to university and become a doctor._

 _Consulting his map, Genis studied it to make sure he was in the right place. He traced the circle he'd drawn when calculating where the orbs could be. Eventide Island. Yup. No doubt about it._

 _So, he walked towards the desk and joined the back of the line. Minutes passed, and it was finally his turn._

 _"Hey there! Are you here to enjoy Oblivia Beach?" A woman with purple hair and honey-colored skin greeted him with a wide smile._

 _"Uh...I don't think so." Genis grimaced._

 _"Really? It's our most popular beach."_

 _"Is there anything else to do here?"_

 _Hopefully, he could find some caves or something that resembled the other hiding places._

 _"Do you like hiking?"_

 _"Sure, what's around here?" Genis tucked his hands into his pockets._

 _The young woman pulled out a map of the island and laid it on the counter. Using her fingers, she began to point out the trails. "Well, the Noctilum trail will take you up to the highest part of the island, just to Satorl Peak. It's pretty windy these days, so you may need a jacket up there. Or you could take Tephra Pass. That's a pretty easy hike that will take you down to Primordia Beach. That's a big beach for scuba diving and surfing."_

 _Scrunching his brows together, Genis eyed the map. Where was it? Most likely not in any of these tourist destinations. Somewhere secluded to be sure._

 _Passing his eyes over the geography, he saw a circled area, far from any of the suggested destinations._

 _"What's that?" He pointed at it._

 _"That's a pretty intense hike. The Ikana Trail takes you to the west part of the island. It's pretty rocky, you need to be an experienced climber. But it takes you to a pretty grotto. It requires a lot of strength so it's not really popular." She leaned on her cheek and studied him._

 _That sounded like a good place to start searching._

 _"I'll go over there."_

 _"You sure? You don't exactly look like the type."_

 _Genis rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Obviously, his growth spurt hadn't done anything to convince others he was older than he was. "I'll be fine."_

 _"Okay. But we need you to sign this liability waiver though." She pulled a piece of paper from her under the counter and laid it on the tabletop with a pen._

 _"Why?"_

 _"So you don't sue the Eventide Tourism Association if anything happens to you."_

 _Grumbling, he grabbed the pen and squiggled a very messy signature (Raine would not approve). Of course, he didn't think anything was gonna happen. He was an expert climber after all of the Journey of Regeneration activities, and there was a climbing wall at the Academy that he used on a weekly basis. This would be a piece of cake._

 _After jogging the trail for a half a mile, he came to the cliffside. There still was a narrow path, and if he had to, he could climb the rest of the way. Sighing, Genis had known that the waiver was a bit much. Though it took a while to navigate the path, he easily made it down to the grotto in a half an hour. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he jogged down towards the opening of the cave._

 _Gray-blue rocks stacked on top of each other in a haphazard way over the opening, as if someone had punched a hole through the formation. A small strip of sand, half submerged, separated the bay from the inside of the cavern. Peering into the cavern, Genis saw it was rather dark, but the glimmer of the water reflected on the stone walls. His eyes could barely make out a shore at the back of the cavern, covered in pebbles and cobblestones._

 _He determined that it would be easiest just to swim across to the end of the grotto. Not ideal, but not enough to stop him. Diving into the water, the half elf shivered as he felt the cold water slide over his body, drenching his clothes. With earnest, he paddled to the far shore, jumping out and rubbing his arms and crouching. Wind whistled past him, causing him to shiver. He didn't know which was colder: the water or getting out of the water._

 _Sparking to life a fire ball on his kendama, Genis dropped his gear and headed towards the back wall of the cave. As it came into view, he saw the strange symbol above a steel door. He went up to it and tried pulling on the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. He groaned. Of course his orb had to be encased in some extra room. None of the others had to deal with this. Well, it didn't matter. He was gonna get to it._

 _Twitching his nose, the teen considered how he was going to open it. Eyeing it, he thought through all the artes that he knew. Which one could create enough force to open the steel doors ('cause they were pretty heavy). He stopped his and snapped his fingers. Crouching, he waved his kendama around in a circle and pointed it at the door._

 _"DREADED WAVE!"_

 _A rumble struck through the ground beneath him and traveled to the door. Stalagmites shot up from the ground, vibrating around the steel, pushing it open. The doors clanged against the cavern wall, and it rumbled. The sound reverberated off the interior of the cave, dust falling from the ceiling. Then it stopped._

 _Genis felt his heart pound. He did not want to get crushed. Rushing inside the dark room, he summoned a fireball on his kendama and began searching frantically. The door slammed behind him. He winced. Get in, get the orb, get out. There, in the back was a large box. He ran over to it, shining his makeshift torch to rid the corridor of shadows, eager to acquire what he came for. With the chest fully in sight, the half elf saw its scuff marks and bent edges, and then a discarded lock half buried in the dirt inches away._

 _This was not good._

 _Grunting, he curved his fingers around the top and pulled upward. After a few tries, the young man successfully lifted up the top. It flung backward with a ear-splitting creak. Cringing, he stared into the chest, waiting to see a glowing orb._

 _But there was nothing._

 _It was empty._

 _"Shit."_

 _The orb wasn't here._

 _He'd failed._

 _His gut twisted and his face grew hot._

 _Now he had to tell everyone this had been a dead end. He had failed to recover the orb. And Raine would know that he had ignored her. Shame burned his cheeks and he shook his head back and forth, his shaggy hair following a second behind._

 _Shrugging his shoulders, he turned away from the chest. There was no point in staying any longer and delaying the inevitable. He was gonna have to tell everyone eventually. Especially Colette since she was assigned to come here and find the orb._ _But he'd wait until he was back in Palmacosta. That way, Raine would know he was safe._

 _Picking up his kendama, Genis walked back to the entrance and pushed on the doors. Again, they wouldn't budge. Cursing, he readied himself to force them open. Closing his eyes, he felt a surge of power brush through his muscles as he imagined the earth breaking underneath the doors. "DREADFUL WAVE!" He screamed as he pointed the kendama at the steel doors. Vibrations rippled from below and reverberated into the doors, slamming them outward. As he stepped out of the darkness into the dimly lit cavern, rumbling filled the air._

 _His throat clenched together._ _He had to get out now._

 _Frantically, Genis scooped up his things and raced for the water. Rocks started to fall._

 _"Shit!"_

 _He jumped into the pool and swam towards the entrance._

 _But he was too late._

 _Stones rained down upon the entrance, drowning the cavern in blackness. Cursing, the half elf raced to the nearest wall, panting as he listened to rocks fall from above and splash into the water, drenching him as they sunk. Heart hammering, Genis raised his kendama above him. "FORCE FIELD!"_

 _A light shined around him, instantly disappearing, as it was meant to. Raggedly breathing, Genis felt his blood roar in his ears. Even though he knew he was protected from the cave in, it was so much more than that. He was trapped._

 _Minutes later, the thundering stopped and he let out a long breath. Paddling to the shore, he dropped his things once more and pointed his kendama upward. "SPIRAL FLARE!" The flare shot straight up and exploded, casting the cavern in a bout of light._

 _The half elf knew he only had a few seconds before the light disappeared. Diving back into the pool, he opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. It was as he thought: even the underwater entrance was covered._

 _Surfacing, he took a big breath of air and filled his lungs. Then he swore._

And that was how Genis ended up in his current situation. Shortly after resurfacing, he dragged himself to the shore, lit a fire using his spells and twigs he found lying about, removed his clothes so he wouldn't get a cold (at least Raine could give him that), and began thinking of a way to get out. The half elf tried anything and everything: his earth spells to push the rocks out of the way, but there were too many; wind spells to get through the spaces and push them out, but the spaces weren't large enough; water spells to wear them down, but the pressure wasn't enough.

He was really stuck.

Now the half elf was going on this third day in the cavern. Lying face up on the cool ground, he eyed the entrance disdainfully, his small fire casting light where there would be darkness. What if he used "Tidal Wave" in conjunction with "Cyclone"? Maybe he could move the—

"Genis? Are you in there?"

The teenager sat up. Had he heard correctly?

That sounded like...

Oh goddess. Was he starting to hallucinate?

"Genis! It's Colette! Are you in there?"

His stomach dropped out. She was here. Colette was really here.

Diving into the pool, he waded to the other side and stood on the rocks jutting out from the water. Putting his mouth to one of the tiny spaces, he called out, "Colette! I'm here!"

"Oh thank goodness! I didn't know if I would find you!"

"I'm stuck in here. All the rocks came down, blocking the entrance."

"Okay...um...I'm gonna figure out how to get you out."

His heart jumped in relief; he had been found. There was hope. Colette would definitely get him out, which was better than dying, even if he had to face Raine and her wrath.

He waited, the minutes seeming to grow into hours. It didn't matter to him though. He was going to be rescued and wouldn't have to spend another night in this stupid grotto, cave, whatever it was.

"Genis? Please get away from the entrance!"

"Roger!"

The half elf jumped back into the water and swam to the other side, flattening himself against the wall next to the steel doors. What was Colette going to do?

"JUDGEMENT!"

"SHIIIIT!" Genis yelled as he held his kendama in the air. "FORCE FIELD!" Boulders went flying and beams of light pierced the rock wall. Chaos rained around him and he squeezed his eyes shut. Small rocks and gravel bounced off his force field and he crouched down, waiting for it to end. Hopefully not too many would hit his shield; he didn't want to imagine what would happen if it broke in the middle of the collapse.

Seconds later, the rumbles stopped and rocks ceased to rain down from above.

"Genis?"

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The half elf could see the silhouette of an angel floating in the entrance. He stood up and grinned. He was saved!

Then his eyes widened, and he looked down. He was...naked.

Flushing, he rushed over to the fire and pulled on his pants (luckily they were still intact), just in time for Colette to fly over to him. Tucking his hands in his pockets, the teenager attempted to look relaxed.

"Genis, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah! Everything's great. Totally fine." He laughed nervously. It appeared she hadn't seen anything and he sighed with relief. A terrible situation avoided. He could only imagine Lloyd laughing at him for the rest of his life if Colette had flown in a second earlier. Tugging on his shirt, Genis said, "Oh man, Colette. I didn't know how I was gonna get out of there."

"I'm so glad you're okay." She looked at him with worried eyes, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Yeah, me too. I don't know what I would do if you hadn't shown up." He grabbed his camping gear. "Thanks, Colette."

Hesitating, she shifted back and forth. "Genis...what were you doing?"

"Um...ya know...trying to get the orb."

"Didn't the Professor say not to?"

"I know, but I wanted to be helpful. Everyone else is going after the orbs and I'm just sitting at school doing nothing."

Colette shook her head from side to side. "Genis, the only reason we know where to look is because you figured it out! We couldn't be doing this without you!"

Twitching his nose back and forth, the half elf shrugged. "I guess you're right." Scrunching his brow together, he asked, "How did you find me?"

Colette related to him how she had wanted to surprise Genis (now he felt super guilty for leaving the Academy), but found out that he had been gone for a few days. Of course, she was worried and set out for Eventide Island. When she arrived, the young woman thought it was best to ask at the Visitor's Information desk. Good thing Genis had talked to the desk clerk because she directed Colette towards the Grotto.

"Does Raine know?"

"No, I didn't tell her. I wanted to see if I could find you first because I knew she would be really mad."

"Thanks, Colette. For coming to save me." Genis repeated. After all, he would've wasted away in the cavern for the rest of his days had she not come and found him.

It was scary to think about, dying alone. It was different than during the Journey of Regeneration. Sure, they'd faced possible death many times, but he had been with them. They were afraid together.

Here, Genis had been all alone.

Yeah, he wouldn't be doing anything like this ever again.

"I'm just glad you're okay." She said, giving him a hug.

"Sorry for worrying you." The half elf murmured, returning the embrace.

"It's okay." Colette said. After a few more seconds, stepped backwards. "Um...so did you find it?"

"The orb? Nope. It's not here."

Her eyes widened. "Is this the wrong spot?"

"No, it's the right one. There was a box and everything. But it wasn't here." His shoulders slumped. His trip been not only dangerous, but also a failure. He had nothing to show for it, other than a huge fear of caves now (not that he'd admit that to anyone).

"Oh no...just like Sheena's and Seles'."

"Wait, what?" Genis questioned. "My holocom hasn't gotten any signal since I got stuck in here."

"They went to the Abbey and they said it was missing."

"Do they know who took it?"

"I guess someone bought it. They were able to find out who it was and now Yuan is looking for the person."

"Good." The young man crossed his arms over his chest, furrowing his brow. "I don't know how we're gonna find this one though. There weren't any clues as to who took it."

They stood in silence for a moment, both contemplating the seemingly impossibly problem.

"So what do we do now?" The High Priestess asked, cutting through his racing brain.

He knew what the answer was, but he didn't like it. Hanging his head, Genis mumubled, "We've gotta to tell Raine."

"Are you going to tell her everything?"

"Yeah, I'll tell her. It'd be worse if I lied to her."

The High Priestess nodded.

"Anyway, I'm starving. You wanna go get some lunch? Dumplings? My treat."

"Yes!"


	12. You See Right Through Me

Clouds filled the sky as the two opponents fought, their movements abrupt as they darted around the circular rink, each switching between offensive and defensive roles. It appeared they were matched; when one struck, the other parried; when one swung outward, the other evaded. But Presea knew better. Even after three days of solo training, she continued to be seconds slower than Kendrick in battle (0.5 milliseconds to be exact). Though her quickness in developing the skill of her new weapon pleased her, she knew that there were still areas to improve upon until she could count herself as a fighter of the intermediate level.

As the young woman span to take hold of his sword with the curves of her weapons, the angle of her arms was too high, leaving her torso open. She felt the tip of the blade poke her ribs. The match was over; he won once more. But this time, she had fended hm off far longer (ten minutes to be exact), than the previous session.

Taking a step backward, Kendrick exhaled and wiped the sweat off the back of his neck, his black hair matted against his forehead. "You're getting better each time we fight. You'll be ready for the colosseum soon enough."

"How soon?"

"Until you can best me." He grinned and sheathed his sword.

A slight shiver ran up her back, though she maintained an unaffected exterior.

"Shall we go again?" Presea asked. Adrenaline coursed through her body, unwilling to recede. The more training, the faster she would accomplish her goal. And be ready for the fight against Ratatosk.

Something in her warned about that coming event. It was unknowable, what exactly that thing was. If she were correct in her analysis, it was an instinct. And though instincts were rarely based in fact (as was the definition), there was something about this intuition that demanded her attention.

"Sorry, but I need a break." The young man walked over to the rest bench and grabbed his canteen. "You've got a lot of stamina. It's pretty impressive."

Sheathing her sickles, Presea took a seat next to where he stood. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes, steading the racing of her heart. It had been a good sparring session; the sickles already felt natural to her in comparison to her axe when she first approached it after her transformation. A good omen indeed.

"Do you wanna grab some food?"

His voice cut through her thoughts and she opened her eyes to look at him. A burst of of electricity jolted her. It was strange, the small feeling of excitement she felt at the question. Although she had a hypothesis concerning what it was, it was too early to tell. Regardless, the training had lasted a few hours. Her body needed sustenance to replenish itself, especially if she wished to pursue an early morning session the next day.

"Sure."

As they ambled out of the practice arena next to the colosseum, Kendrick said, "I was surprised you contacted me. How did you know how to find me anyway?"

Presea creased her lips into a line. Discussing her background in espionage would not be wise, as she did not know him well enough to trust him. "I have my ways."

"Keep the mystery alive. I like it."

"It is simply a fact."

"Well, I appreciate you asking me to help you train." Kendrick gave her a small nod. "It's actually been a lot of fun."

"You anticipated it would not be?"

"No, not at all! I was just surprised. You didn't seem to take what I said well after we fought."

Presea shook her head, her pink hair swishing from right to left behind her back. "On the contrary, you seemed the obvious choice. You identified my weaknesses and recognized what my strengths were."

"You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome."

"I do not mean to insult."

"You're not, don't worry. I'm just joking." He laughed. "Like I said, I'm happy to help. You're a good fighter."

Turning down a small alley, they arrived at a small noodle stand. Four stools were lined up against the counter: only one was occupied by an older half elf on the far left. Towards the back of the stand was the cook, a fat man who worked furiously over large pots of broth, cooking meat, and other assorted ingredients.

"This okay?" Kendrick asked, turning his brown eyes on her.

Presea nodded. Being picky about food was illogical. She was simply grateful that she now had the opportunity to try many cuisines and be conscious of what they were and tasted like. Even her taste buds had changed during her transformation, opening up many more possibilities.

As they sat down at the counter, Kendrick called to the cook, "Two tonkotsu ramen. Everything in them." Then he turned back to the young woman. "This is one of my favorite joints in the city. You'll never get authentic Juban cuisine like this anywhere else." Grabbing a pair of Altamiran sodas, he placed one in front of her. "Enough about fighting. I don't know anything about you, other than you seem to be some sort of weapons prodigy. Where ya from?"

She hesitated.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

After a pause, Presea answered: "Ozette."

"Wow. The boonies."

She glared at him as she took a sip of her drink. Cherry. That was one of her favorite flavors.

"Oh man, sorry I didn't mean that."

"It may be a quiet town, but I would not refer to it as 'the boonies'."

"Duly noted." He dipped his head in acknowledgement. There was a twinkle in his eye that inclined her to continue the conversation.

"Where are you from?"

Taking a sip of his soda, Frederick said, "I'm really from the boonies. Juban."

"Where is that?"

"Yeah, see? Definitely the boonies. It's southwest of the Fooji Mountains, just on the peninsula. It's a mining town, not much to do there. That's why I got out, so I could see the world."

"And did you?" She placed her elbows on the counter, observing how the lines of his face betrayed emotions of nostalgia, though his words said otherwise.

"Not really. Made it here to Meltokio about ten years ago and haven't left. I mean...I've traveled a little around, like Altamira, Flanoir, Luis Obispo. But I've just put down roots here. I like it, even though it can get claustrophobic at times."

"It is overwhelming with many people. Ozette is very quiet in comparison."

"Exactly. I guess, sometimes I miss Juban. There's just 300 people and you kinda knew everyone's business there." Kendrick shrugged. "Just another reason I'm glad I'm not there anymore. You gotta have some privacy. Anyway, do you live here in the city? I mean, I assumed so."

"I have an apartment but am not settled here or anywhere. These past few years have been mostly traveling from place to place."

"Where?"

"Throughout Sylvarant and Tethe'alla."

"That's amazing!" He leaned on the counter, gazing into her eyes, eager. "Sylvarant. I've never been. What was your favorite place?"

Crossing her hands in her lap, the young woman tilted her head to the side, thinking. Though the months had blended together, it was simple for her to think about each place she and her friends had visited. After a moment, she turned her gaze back to him and responded: "Triet. It is a desert town in the south."

"The desert? Really? Wow."

"I enjoy the heat."

"But that place gets really hot, right? I mean, it's pretty much the opposite of Flanoir." Kendrick grimaced.

"Correct."

"I don't know if I could stand that. I'm not much of a fan of Flanoir either. Guess extreme temperatures aren't for me."

"Each person has his or her own limits."

Kendrick didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stared at her, his pupils moving right to left. She blinked, feeling a slight heat rise to the top of her cheeks. But she did not look away, rather returning his scrutiny with her own. His eyes were an amber color, with flecks of green in them. Unique. She had never seen a pair of eyes like his.

"You're very practical." He spoke.

"Is that bad?"

"No, not at all. I just haven't met anyone like you."

They fell into silence, their eyes still locked. Inwardly, Presea squirmed. For one of the first times in her life, she wanted to keep a conversation progressing. But somehow, she found herself struggling to do so. Ticking through her mind, the young woman considered what other questions would be appropriate when getting to know another person, and she picked out one.

"What is your job, Kendrick?"

"You mean what I do? Teaching, just like I do with you, except I work with the new recruits of the City Guard." He grabbed the soda bottle and finished the rest of the drink.

"Did you previously work with the City Guard?"

"Nah. I served in the military for a few years, then got this injury. But my skills were good enough so they decided to keep me on."

A soldier. Presea's mind exploded with questions. Had he seen battle? What division was he in? How long exactly was he a part of the military? Why had he joined in the first place? Where had the injury come from?

The curiosity was overwhelming. And surprising.

Before she had a chance to dive into any of the questions, the cook placed two large bowls of noodles and toppings in front of them.

"Yes! I've been craving this all day long." Kendrick grinned. Without ceremony, he dug his chopsticks into the bowl and began slurping up the noodles. Then he stopped, looked up her, cheeks burning with embarrassment, as if he'd just remembered he had a companion. Clearing his throat, he put the chopsticks down. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Presea chuckled and began eating. After a few minutes of eating in quie, save for the occasionally slurp of noodles and broth, the young woman dotted her mouth with a napkin and inquired, "Do you like it? Teaching?"

"Mostly. Sometimes you get an upstart, asshole kid who just won't listen." He snorted. "But all the others are genuinely okay. But not all of them survive, you know?"

"Survive? What do you mean?"

"They have to reach a certain level of ability to go on with their training. If they don't pass the skills test after six months, they're out and they have to start all over again."

"That is unfortunate."

"Yeah, especially to the ones who put in all the effort but don't quite make it."

"Does it remind you of your time in the military?"

"Every day. I almost miss it." The smile he gave her was filled with melancholy.

"Apologies, I should not have asked you that. I did not mean to bring up painful memories."

"No, it's okay." He averted his eyes, his face turning serious for the first time that afternoon. More accurately, the first time in their acquaintance. "My injury was my fault. I did something stupid, something I knew I shouldn't do, and I paid the price for it."

"And so you spend your time in the Colleseum doing what you miss."

"You see right through me." He laughed.

"It was a logical inference." Presea tilted her head. "What was your injury if I may ask?"

"I broke my left arm."

"But you fight with your right."

"I used to be left-handed. Was a lot stronger too. But even when I recovered, I never got that strength back and I was deemed unfit for service."

"That is..." She searched for the right word, a word that was not factual, but emotional. "Disappointing."

"Yeah. Understatement of the century."

They finished the rest of their meal quickly, paid the cook (he insisted on paying, though she argued heavily), and walked back into the street.

"Wasn't that the best?"

"It was very delicious. Thank you."

"No problem at all. I'm glad you liked it. Not many people do. They think it's too base."

"I did not think that at all. It was very filling."

Kendrick beamed. "I like you, Presea. Always to the point." He gave her a small bow. "Thank you for the company and good work today."

"Yes. Thank you for taking time out of your day to sparr with me." She inclined her head and smiled.

"If you ever want to again, happy to do so. Have a good night."

"You as well."

Then he winked and walked away. She watched the young man for a few moments, thinking on his words and attitude. It seemed a genuine offer. Perhaps she would take him up on it after a few more days of personal training.

As she headed back to her apartment, her mind wandered to Ratatosk. He was somewhere, conserving his energy, getting stronger. And she was getting stronger as well. With the sickles in hand, the young woman felt more confident about joining the battle against him, even if she still had work to do. Besides, there was still time; three orbs had yet to be recovered (two were missing and supposedly Kratos and Raine would find the last one at the Grace Cathedral the next day).

But there was no explanation for what the orbs were. She had only seen one in the flesh, but the energy it emanated was one of...evil. And that was not a word she used lightly.

As Presea walked into the apartment, she removed the sickles from her belt and placed them delicately on the top of her dresser. Their silver blades glinted in the soft light and she smiled. She'd purchased them only five days ago, but she loved them already, like she had her axe.

Walking through her apartment, she began turning on the few lights she had. Though it was small, it suited her needs. A one bedroom, with a fully outfited kitchen, small living room, and balcony that overlooked the city. As she removed her shoes, a buzzing noise filled the air and her pocket vibrated. Her holocom.

Fishing it out, she saw the name on the caller ID and raised an eyebrow.

"Yuan."

A small image of him appeared, hovering above the handheld machine. Presea took a seat at her small dining table and placed the device on the top, so she and the image of Yuan were at eye level.

"Presea."

Clasping her hands together, she waited. Why had he called her now, especially after so many days of non-communication?

"Do you have news on the missing orb?" She asked. If he was not going to speak, she would begin the conversation. Of course, this was possibly one of those situations where the young woman would have to pry out the reason he called from him. Sometimes, the half elf was not forthcoming.

"None yet. I have alerted all my remaining agents and asked them to contact any informations they have about this Alex Beck."

"I have already reached out to mine."

"Good."

Once more, the young woman waited for him to follow up. Why had Yuan called, if not to inform her of that? He shifted back and forth on his feet; he had a habit of standing whenever initiating a video call. For some reason, he felt sitting was uncomfortable. She found it...amusing.

Regardless, Presea had news to share with him. Now that he had initiated contact, there was no reason to keep her life happenings from him. It would illustrate her case and point that she was fully able to take care of herself without his supervision.

"I have decided to no longer use the axe as a weapon of choice."

Yuan eyed her, genuinely surprised. "Really? Why?"

"I am...off balance when I use it. It hinders my ability to fight well."

"What are you using now?"

"The sickle. Rather two. They are better suited to me."

"Interesting choice. Why did you pick them?"

"Its versatility. I can wield one or two at a single time. I am able to strike both accurately and precisely. I am unencumbered by a larger weapon now; I have greater agility to attack my enemies."

"I see." Yuan nodded, his face awash with blankness. But a flicker of a smile crossed his face, just enough for Presea to see. If she were not angry with him still, she would have responded in kind. It pleased her that he thought her choice was utilitarian.

"And you're training?"

"I am."

"How?"

She flicked her eyes away as she thought of Kendrick. Something about the conversation suddenly felt...awkward. Part of her did not wish to mention the man to Yuan. But that was an unfounded, irrational, nonsensical emotional response. She had nothing to hide.

And yet she still hesitated. "I...have a coach."

"A coach." His tone was flat, but she could see his eyes narrow the tiniest bit. Presea waited for the onslaught of his berating that he could help her, but instead, he asked, "Do you know if he is competent?"

"Yes. He is the trainer of the City Guard."

"How did you meet him?"

His tone was no longer flat, rather reprimanding. Heat began to run through her.

"I participated in a few rounds at the Coliseum."

"With your axe."

"Yes."

"And he was the one who mentioned switching weapons."

"Yes."

Why did he have to be so perceptive? Of course, it was an illogical question. After 4000 years, the half elf knew how to identify cause and effect. But it still amazed her, his powers of inference.

"I assume he told you about the sickles?"

"No. I did my own research. It was a logical choice." She retorted, pulling her ponytail out and letting her long hair fall down her shoulders.

"You could have asked me. I would have given you some ideas."

"I wanted to choose for myself."

"I wouldn't have forced it on you." He demanded, his blue eyes flashing. "Why are you so resistant to my help?"

"I need to live my own life, Yuan."

"Be careful. You don't know anything about him."

"As I said previously, I am able to asses situations well enough. You should know that by now as I was your agent." The last words were tinged with sharpness, and she immediately regretted it, though anger boiled in her veins. Her emotions were starting to get the better of her usual rational attitude.

It was difficult to determine if that was a good thing or not.

"That was different." Yuan countered.

"How?"

The angel crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me know if your informant comes back with any information."

"I will."

The call terminated, his image disappeared into the air, as if it had never been there.

It occurred to her that she did not mention the fainting episodes. She'd had two more since that first one a few days ago. They were all the same: voices filled her mind, undistinguishable, though somewhat recognizable (though she did not know where). She could not make out any of the words, but she knew they were speaking a language she understood. The spells all happened at night, though the hour was never the same. The third time, she had felt it coming on and had luckily positioned herself over her bed. If she could strengthen her awareness of the spells, it was feasible she could keep herself from falling unconscious and be able to uncover what they were.

Just as Presea rose from her seat, her holocom buzzed again. Picking it up, she brought it to her ear.

"Yuan—"

"No, it's me tiny girl. Though I hear you aren't so tiny any more." A voice came across the line, raspy and seductive.

An image of a middle-aged woman dressed in her usual black velvet, low cut dress, with a cigarette in hand came to mind. Although the times had changed, and new styles were in fashion, Ms. Nevada remained loyal to the lifestyle of the the Jazz Age, which, Presea noted, was almost thirty years ago. But that didn't matter. Presea had always admired the older woman. There was something about Ms. Nevada's confidence that the young woman wished to embody, especially now that she was an adult woman.

"Hello, Ms. Nevada."

"I got your information. About that orb you were looking for."

Presea stood, her eyes wide. "Truly?"

"Would I lie to you, darling? Let's meet at the usual place. One hour." The voice cooed. "See you soon."

The line went dead and Presea put the holocom down. Her heart thumped in her chest: one of the orbs had been found. Possibly. Until she had absolute proof, it was unreasonable to hope. Despite this, her anticipation only grew with each second. Ten minutes later, the young woman was showered, changed, and out the door.

As she hurried down the steps, her pink hair wrapped in a bun and trench coat wrapped around black slacks and shirt, the young woman pulled out her holocom and began to call Yuan. Mid-stride, she stopped, staring down at the blue machine in her palm, finger hovering over the 'call' key. Her heart skipped a beat and she put it back in her pocket.

She ought to tell Yuan. He would be relieved to hear of it. But then he would come to assist her in procuring it. And that, she would not have. No, she would acquire the orb herself.

So Presea stole into the back alleys of the city, towards the Green-Light District.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I think I'm going to keep a chapter to a particular episode. This way I get to dive into each character and his/her relationships more (unless something is super short); hopefully that won't make things extra long though...Anyway! Leave some looove.


	13. Life does not adhere to our wishes

Something was strange. He could here them all, and then there was nothing. It came and went, the gaggle of voices. He could only catch snippets of the conversations; they didn't want him to know what they were saying. Of course not, and why did he care? They were all sad, pathetic fools. They didn't know what they were doing by defying him, digging themselves into a greater hole. They knew he was around. They knew what he was about. No doubt they were frightened.

Which he loved.

But there was something else there, between the clamoring voices and thoughts. And he couldn't put his finger on it. It was different. It was silent. But what _was_ it? He had to know. But he couldn't reach out and touch because every blasted one of them would latch on to him. Find him.

And it, whatever it was, would be gone as soon as it came.

It was fascinating. Tantalizing. He wanted to know exactly what it was. Touch it, feel it, taste it.

Just like his desire to meld to her. Though different all the same. She was there, reaching out, whispering in their own way for him to come to her. And she was so warm, so smoothe, so calming...

He snarled.

He would not be distracted. He had other things to worry about now. The orbs, the treasures, the power. He wanted them now. Needed them, though they would not do him any good just yet. He needed his strength.

Grunting, the summon spirit cursed. How on this whole bloody planet had he chosen a body that refused to cooperate with him? Whatever this Cruxis Crystal was, it had healed all of the bruises, and the cracked bones. But underneath it all, his strength had not returned fully.

But he expected it was not the body that prevented that.

Glaring into the depths, he reached out and banged on the door of the prison.

 _YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE. YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE. YOU WILL NEVER WIN._

He screamed. He shrieked.

And yet the door would not open.

Inside lurked the pest. The scum that would not disappear. The energy emanated from the corner of the mind, steady, pulsating, unwilling to vanish. It was confused, but it was...hopeful.

It was infuriating.

 _GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!_

But the door did not budge.

* * *

It was mid-morning when Regal Bryant received an unexpected visitor in his office. He had been neck deep in a proposal for restoring an unnecessary — and unwanted, in his opinion, — statute of King Burma IV in Hokkaido Hills, a community of estates just twenty miles northwest of Meltokio. King Burma had been a great supporter of the upper classes, and frequently took from the poor to give to the rich with no care for consequences. His legacy was one of elitism and prejudice, and Regal was less than inclined to honor such a request.

So when the nobleman heard a rap on the door, relief swept through his body and he looked up to find a young woman leaning against the door frame, arms crossed at her chest.

"Presea?"

From her position, she watched him with alert eyes. Her pink hair, bright against the navy shirt and pants she wore, was bound in a ponytail, cascading down her back. She studied him critically. Though another would squirm under her gaze, he no longer did. After three and a half years of being in her company, he understood her idiosyncrasies and mannerisms (to an extent; he would never presume to know all that she was for that would be hubris).

But since her transformation, she had begun to change. Would he still be able to recognize her as the companion he once knew over time? Did that matter? It was not his business what choices she made or didn't make. It was, though, his prerogative to support her in any way possible, unless he felt her actions were harmful in some way.

"What can I do for you this morning?" He asked, sitting tall in his chair and pushing the loathsome proposal to the side of his desk.

"I have a request." She shut the door behind her and took the seat across from him, folding her hands in her lap. "Do you know who José Datta is?"

"Head of organized crime in Meltokio." Regal narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"I'm pursuing a lead regarding Alex Beck."

The man who had taken the orb from the Abbey. It was good news to be sure, as they had no ideas regarding his whereabouts, or even if that was his name. But this revelation was dampened by the possibility that unsavory characters were in the mix.

"You're going into Front Hook."

Front Hook was the center of the black market in Meltokio, past the red and green light districts, underground in the back alleys. It encompassed a whole array of tunnels and man-made caverns; networks for criminals to move and conduct business out of the watchful eyes of law enforcement. It was rumored that José Datta, who "ruled" the underground city, had snipers hiding in Front Hook, waiting to take down any member of the City Guard brave enough to cause trouble. None wished to, which was exactly how José was able to run his empire untouched.

"I believe so. To do this, I need a placement at The Parlour Room."

His muscles tensed but he kept his face impassive. Did she know about his activities there at all? Did she know about him and Melanie?

"Why do you think I have connections to The Parlour Room?"

"Many of your acquaintances are nobles. It would is a well known fact that there is a contingent of the upper-class that are members. As you interact with many, I believed you would be the best source of knowledge."

HIs shoulders fell slightly with relief.

"And you need access because...?"

"I need a suitable cover to go into Front Hook. Being a lady of the house will provide me one." Blinking, Presea settled back into the chair, stacking one leg over the other.

"Why could you not go as a thief? A robber? Those would be safer options."

"Possibly, but those require a lengthy reputation, which I do not have time to cultivate. Becoming a courtesan is a convincing disguise, as I can easily forge a backstory of originating from a small town from Sylvarant. And no one will be able to confirm nor deny the story."

"That seems dangerous."

"It is, I will not deny it. But it is better than any other plan, especially considering the short timetable that we have."

He had to give her that. They had no idea of Ratatosk's location, nor whether or not he had fully recovered from his battle. And getting the orbs was of utmost importance.

Pursing his lips, Regal studied her. She betrayed no emotion, stonewalling him so he could not discern her thoughts or feelings. Instinctually, he knew something about this situation wasn't right. Not that he didn't believe Presea could go into such danger and take care of herself. No, he knew better than that. But there was something else to the circumstances that he could not see.

He had a feeling that this 'lead' was more than she said.

"I am aware of what the potential consequences of this decision, Regal." Presea said, as if she'd read his mind. "But I will make a compromise with you if that will ease your conscience."

"It is not my conscience that needs easing. I am worried for your safety."

"I understand, and I do appreciate that."

She gave him a small smile, one that reached her light blue eyes, and he allowed himself to relax the tiniest bit.

"I'm listening."

"You provide me employment in The Parlour Room. In exchange, I tell you what I am searching for."

"But...?"

"You are not to interfere. Unless I ask for your help." Presea said. She was so still, her words so matter-of-fact. Though he knew these behaviors were endemic to her due to years of paralysis by an exsphere, he was still amazed by her statuesque, physical behavior. In a way, it was elegant.

He considered her proposal, then questioned, "Does Yuan know?"

Presea's eyes left his to look at the wall behind him. It seemed that whatever was happening between Presea and Yuan had not been resolved, otherwise he would have been the only other who knew. It was more likely that she would have shared this information with Yuan instead of himself if the two were on better terms. What could have been so disastrous to their relationship? From everything he gathered, they had spent much time together in the past, especially while she was one of his secret agents, and had developed an amicable relationship. But now...

"And I assume I am not to tell him."

"No."

If Yuan ever found out, he would come after Regal. And the nobleman wasn't sure he would blame the half elf.

"How dangerous is this? What you're doing?"

"I have analyzed the various scenarios. There is a 70% chance I will succeed in discovering the information needed to acquire the orb if I pursue this plan."

Not the best odds, but they had faced much worse in the past.

He nodded. "Alright. I will get you an invitation."

"Thank you." Presea stood and headed for the door. As she opened it, she paused and glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with him. "It is not my business, where you go or who you see. But you should be more careful when you plan your visits. The same day and time makes it easy to track you." And with that, she left.

As the door closed, his heart skipped a beat. Presea knew that he was a member of The Parlour Room. And that he frequented the establishment once (sometimes twice) a week. Presea wouldn't tell anyone, but if a non-member saw him...

The consequences could be disastrous.

And now that she knew, what did she think of him? Did she think he was dishonoring the memory of Alicia?

Another knock on the door disrupted his spiral into anxiety.

"Yes?"

Hilda's maid appeared, her curly hair bouncing around her perfectly round face. "Sir Bryant, the Queen would like to see you in the Cheung Sitting Room."

Confused he stood and nodded. Their next meeting was scheduled for tomorrow, and in the late afternoon. What did she want to discuss with him that could not wait?

But he already had a strong inkling of what Hilda wanted to speak about. The Queen had yet to make an official comment regarding the Half Elven Right's Movement since it had been a few days since the demonstration. The press was getting restless. So were the nobles of the Council.

And so was the public.

Minutes later, he walked into the Sitting Room, adrenaline still coursing through him as a reminder of his conversation with Presea. Hilda was seated at the sofa in the middle of the large room, pouring over documents splayed all over the coffee table. She was dressed in a ruffled white blouse, and long, pleated pink skirt. Without looking up, she said, "Regal. Thank you for coming so quickly. I am in need of a second opinion."

"How may I be of assistance?" The nobleman crossed the room towards the armchair opposite of her, straightening his blue blazer as he sat.

Sitting upright, she met his eyes. "I am looking over these numbers regarding the aid to Luin. I have about 5000 Gald left in the budget to utilize. I am unsure if I should place it in the water purification plant or into building an orphanage." She pushed over a stack of papers, the top of which were reports on project expenses with the approved budgets.

Regal leaned forward, his blue ponytail hanging slightly off his left shoulder as his eyes poured over the numbers. He studied the recent progress reports regarding each of the aide projects and analysis on each option presented to the Queen. The orphanage was almost done, but could use an upgraded water heater for the winters. The water purification plant was already done, but the extra gald could go directly to installing the type of technology that would insure its longevity for the next century.

"I know it's not under your purview, but I wanted your opinion."

Silent, he flipped through a few more of the pages. Then he sifted them into one stack and turned his gaze to hers. Her eyes were watchful, patient. They were not commanding, rather inquisitive and hopeful. A very different gaze than what he believed he would encounter from the Queen.

His stomach dropped.

Regal cleared his throat. "It is of my opinion that the water purification system would be the best beneficiary. This way, all the citizens of Luin will reap the health benefits for many years to come."

"You're right." She took back the proposal and began scribbling her approval across it in exquisite calligraphy (her noticed her hand moved in a graceful manner). "Although, I was hoping that you were going to say the orphanage."

"Had you said so, I would've agreed." He smirked.

"If you had, I would've considered letting you take all my meetings with Minister Ellison." The Queen replied with a smug smile.

A grin captured his mouth, spreading from one end to the other. "As your Majesty commands."

"Tea?"

"Please."

She poured him a cup, which he took with a murmur of thanks. Seconds passed as they drank in silence. He liked being here; it felt like a small sanctuary from the chaos outside.

"I do not call you here to discuss Luin."

"As I thought." He sat back in the chair, crossing his legs and clasping his hands together. "You haven't made a public declaration yet. The capital is walking on pins and needles, waiting."

"I know." Her shoulders slumped as she leaned back into the sofa, her blond curls falling around her lazily, blanketing the ruffled collar of her white, silk shirt.

"Have you made a decision yet?"

"No. Well, yes. I want to say yes, I am in full support and I plan to move legislation to make equality a law as soon as possible. But I need something that I can use to reign in the nobles and force them to follow and support my decrees. Without that, I fear that I must publicly come out against the Half Elven Rights Movement, simply to keep resources flowing and the kingdom moving."

"But...?"

"The High Priestess of Tethe'alla is at the head of the movement. Those who are loyal to her, humans and half elves alike, will follow her. She yields a huge amount of power now that she is the head of the Church of Martel." Hilda turned her gaze upward, concentrating on the ceiling. "Though I know she would never suggest or encourage any form of violent protest. That doesn't change the fact that potentially fanatics will take matters into their own hands. And we would have civil war on our hands."

"That is an extreme case." Regal focused his eyes on the tea he was drinking. "Surely, things would not spiral out of control in such a way before you put a stop to it."

"True. But it is my job to think about all scenarios and come to the decision that is best for the kingdom." The Queen sighed and sat up, her eyes giving him a tired smile. "I would've thought the most difficult decision I would need to make in these first few months was the choice of a husband, considering that decision in itself is a conversation fraught with politics." She laughed. "It seems Martel has other plans for me."

"Perhaps, this is her way of guiding you as a Queen."

"Guiding isn't the word I'd use. More like...being thrown into the deep end."

"Life does not adhere to our wishes." Regal said, his voice lowering.

"You speak of your betrothed."

Averting his eyes, Regal nodded.

 _Alicia_...the fact that he did not think on her as often as he used to crushed him with guilt. It wasn't that he didn't miss her — he would always — but a part of him had begun to move on, as encouraged by many of his friends. Even Presea had entreated him to forgive himself, honor Alicia's memory, and move on with his life. Originally, he had been hesitant to even consider such a thing. But since Melanie...

Was Alicia looking down on him with disgust? Scorn? Was she ashamed of him for consorting with a courtesan, no matter how kind and generous she was?

"Regal?"

Abruptly, the nobleman brought his eyes to the Queen's, returning to the present. "Apologies."

"No, please accept mine. I have no business asking about your private matters."

"It is alright." He hesitated, then continued, "Her name was Alicia Combatir. She was an employee of mine originally at the Lezareno Company. However, we came to know each other outside the confines of the office, and then we fell in love. But she was taken by Cruxis."

His lips folded into a grim line. There was no need to dive into any more detail. Hilda knew the corruption of Cruxis, though she did not now the extent of it (which he wished to keep it that way for she did not need to be burdened any more).

Delicately, Hilda reached out and laid her hand on top of Regal's. "I'm so sorry for what happened to her. For what happened to you. If I can do anything, you need only to ask."

He stared into the woman's eyes, seeing the warmth of sympathy dwelling in the depths. They were not false words, but words born from a pain of losing a loved on to the darkness; the pain of knowing one would never look upon the world the same way, knowing what hatred and evil lay in its abyss.

"Thank you."

Nodding, she removed her hand and he cleared his throat.

"I am meeting with the Chair of Sylvarant tomorrow. I will make a decision shortly after. I would like to get her thoughts, though I know what she will advocate." The Queen took a sip of her tea.

"That is wise. Raine may have answers on how to deal with the Council." He stood. "If that is all, I shall take my leave."

"Yes, of course." She stood as well and walked him to the door. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Regal. As I mentioned before, I value your opinion and am grateful to have your help."

"I am happy to be at your service."

"Thank you, Regal. I shall see you tomorrow for our regular meeting."

He bowed and exited, hearing the door close behind him as he strode down the hall.

The thought of returning to writing declarations and proposals made him groan inwardly. Even if he had an aptitude for paperwork, it did not mean he enjoyed it every single day. And at the moment, Regal did not have the mental capacity nor fortitude to deal with such trivial matters. His mind swam with thoughts regarding Hilda and Alicia and Presea. An unlikely trio, yet here they were, clouding his mind. Emotions of all colors flooded his veins, muddling his ability to determine one from the other. No, he was not able to concentrate on his tedious, bureaucratic tasks. He needed something else to distract himself.

As the older man passed by the Royal Library, he stopped mid-stride. As his eyes peered into the large room, its entirety invisible to him from this angle, he recalled the information he and his friends had exchanged by holocom over the past few days. Orbs found, orbs missing, Ratatosk's origins, knowledge of summon spirits. And a mysterious woman by the name of Kimbel Draeys. None of them knew who she was, not even Raine. And that was astonishing in itself.

So why had this woman's name been written in a scroll at the Abbey as the carrier of one of Ratatosk's orbs?

Turning into the library, Regal passed by two guards stationed at the entrance, both of whom gave him the slightest of nods. One of the benefits of being on the Queen's cabinet: he could go anywhere in the castle without being stopped and questioned. However, there were those members of the Castle Guard that hated him for his part in King Ferdinand's demise, but they could do nothing unless they wished to jeopardize their own positions, though he remained cautious of their presence.

As Regal walked down the main pathway between the bookcases lining either side, he considered the possibility of finding some record of this woman. Granted, the Library had installed a new categorized system powered by magitechnology in the past few months. Supposedly, it had the ability to keep track of all topics in each book, no matter how obscure. But, he had heard that the system had been unable to deal with old scrolls and even older books (something about the material they were comprised of).

He would like to say he would take as much time as possible to investigate each and every old scroll and book should it come to that, but to access those, a special archivist was required to handle the materials. This was problematic on two accounts: Regal could not afford to apprise anyone of what he was looking for, and that the nearest archivist was in Flanoir.

What if there were evidence of her existence but he would not be able to find it?

He would cross that bridge when he came to it. If he did.

The Minister headed straight for the reception desk, where a tall half elven man stood, eye glasses sliding off his pointed nose and disheveled shirt hanging at all the wrong angles around his lanky body. Looking up, he pushed the bifocals back up the bridge of his nose and asked, "Sir Bryant. How may I help you today?"

"I'm looking for information on a person. A 'Kimbel Draeys'."

"Hmmm. That name doesn't exactly ring a bell...do you have any more information?" The librarian asked as he began to type on the desktop computer's keyboard.

"The Southeast Abbey has scrolls mentioning her."

"Alright, let's start with that."

A few minutes passed as the librarian worked at the computer. As he waited, Regal swept his gaze around the area. It was vast, larger than he expected (though why he had thought it would be smaller, he did not know). He had only been in the library a handful of times, and never long enough to stay and observe its environment. Windows lined the ceiling, allowing natural light to pour into the room. Tapestries hung on the empty walls (which were few and far between). The bookcases seemed to span for miles on either side of the center. From his position, he could see books of all colors and sizes lined up on each mahogany shelf. He was sure that Raine would enjoy such a place.

"I've found two listings. Would you like me to show you where they are?"

"No, that's not necessary."

The young man handed Regal the code numbers. "Head all the way to the back, go left, then after five or six bookcases you should find the area on the right."

"Thank you."

"No problem at all. Let me know if there's anything else I can find for you."

The nobleman nodded and turned on his heel. A buzz came from his pocket and he pulled out his holocom. A message from Ellison Glazer, the Minister of the Treasury. He probably wanted to discuss the Luin situation; maybe he had heard that Hilda had asked Regal about the extra funds instead of himself. That was not a petty argument Regal wished to entertain. Ever.

Politics was more troublesome than it was worth. But it was his responsibility to help the new Queen.

And it reminded him of his tete-a-tete with Hilda and he smiled.

After passing through a few hallways and rounding a corner or two, he arrived at his destination, according to the instructions of the librarian. Eyes scanning the bookcases, Regal breathed a sigh of relief. These were items that had been easily preserved and did not require the handling of an archivist. Now, all he could hope for was that the information here was useful to himself and his friends.

Pulling out a glass case with the correct label, he saw it contained a laminated scroll entitled 'Myths of the Franciscan Age'. He raised his eyebrows; in ways such as these, magitechnology was fairly impressive. This scroll had to thousands of years old and yet, here it was, preserved for him to read. It was too bad that magitechnology could easily be used for nefarious purposes.

Opening up the scroll, his eyes quickly scanned the page, seeing nothing relevant to his search. He skimmed the second page, then the third, continuing all the way through the scroll. Finally, on the last page, Regal saw her name.

 _Kimbel Draeys_

 _Her hair of flaxen gold_

 _And eyes as green as Life_

 _Summoned the Darkness_

 _To Save the Light_

 _She ran across the World_

 _With the treasures of Old_

 _Spanning the places_

 _Both hot and cold_

 _But as she near the end_

 _Her mind around the bend_

 _She took her last breath_

 _Sang her last song_

 _And yielded to death._

A summoner. He leaned against the back wall, considering this fact (if it were; after all, this was a book of mythology). There was little information on the past of summoners, just that they were descended from elves as they were able to tap into the mana stream and work with the summon spirits. And this Kimbel seemed to be a very important one.

Regal copied the verse on his holocom, then replaced the glass case back on the shelf. Walking down three more bookcases, he stopped in front of a tiny one. It was taller than the others, but half the size. The books in the shelves that were large and looked ancient, though still wrapped in glass cases to slow any deterioration.

Running a finger over the spines, he pulled out the one he needed. Flipping through the pages, he found her name once again, but it contained nothing new. Just the same curious verse from the scroll, which seemed to confirm that she was a summoner.

But what did it mean? Why had she summoned the dark? What was it that she saw? And those treasures of Old, were they the orbs?

His stomach crunched in on itself. Whatever they were dealing with, it seemed to be more than just Ratatosk.


	14. We Will Be Alright

It was the sunrise that woke the half elf the next morning. Raine could see — no, feel — the shifting of colors and the presence of light through her closed eyes. Dawn had come, and so had the reminder of the responsibilities of the upcoming day. Sitting up, the woman smothered a yawn and blinked, her vision adjusting to the morning light after a very deep sleep. Though the ground had been uncomfortable, rocks poking into her back through the sleeping bag during the night, she found herself surprisingly well-rested. Glancing over her shoulder, Raine expected to see the angel also waking from his own slumber across the fire pit, but his sleeping bag was empty.

Rubbing the sleep from the corners of her eyes, she looked around their campsite. As her eyes trailed over the landscape towards the rehairds, they stopped on a figure sitting on the shore of the cove, some twenty feet away.

Kratos.

His back was to her, face turned upward towards the sun that fought to shine through the oppressive grey clouds that were eager to cover the flaming, circular mass. In the faint sun-rays, the half elf thought she could see the outlines of the angel's wings, wisps of rainbows teasing her vision, but it was most likely a trick of the light.

A wind whistled past her ears, raising tendrils of her hair, but she did not take her eyes off of him. He sat so still, like a statue.

Like a lifeless being.

There was something forlorn about him, sitting on the shore, small next to the tall cliffs looming above and the waterfall raining down with a god-like force. It was as if she could feel the loneliness emanating from him, an intense sorrow that knew it could not be cured.

Her heart clenched and she looked away.

Instead, the half elven woman rolled up her sleeping bag. Her own mind retraced the events of the previous day: the journey from Arkylia, the arrival at the Sea Falls, the venture into the cave, the discovery of the orb, the decision to camp at the cove, and finally the amicable conversation that turned sour.

Raine frowned. It had been disappointing that the evening ended on such a dismal note. Not that she regretted the things she said (well, maybe the way she said them). However, conversations such as that one were the only way for them to move past strain in their relationship. Unnecessary drama was the last thing she wanted. Between Ratatosk and the election, her head was already full with matters that required her attention. The last thing she needed was to find herself in an ongoing disagreement — fight was too strong a word, for she knew neither wished to escalate the situation needlessly — with Kratos. Or anyone for that matter.

Removing the kettle from her duffle bag, she lit the fire and began to boil water for tea. Despite the fight (there it was, that word again that she did not want to use), yesterday hadn't been completely terrible. Blushing, the young woman recalled the feeling of Kratos' arms around her body, holding her against him. The strength of his grip had reassured her and softened the pace of her racing heart; the warmth of his body another distraction from the fearful butterflies flying in her stomach. Nonetheless, the entire ordeal had bordered on embarrassing. She had not wished to admit her fear of heights after so closely to reminding him of her fear of large bodies of water. However, the angel had been understanding to her surprise (why did she think it was a surprise? She had never found him to be cruel, though his terseness could be interpreted as such).

To her, the encounter had been rather...intimate. And that was dangerous.

As the water boiled, Raine packed the rest of their camping gear. Shooting a glance at the angel, she noticed he hadn't moved from his position. What was he thinking about? Their fight last night (it truly had been more like a tense discussion)? It certainly had ruffled a few feathers on either side, and layers had been peeled away.

The kettle sang and the half elf delicately plucked it from the camp stove. Pouring hot water into two mugs, she dropped a tea bag into each and walked over to the shore. Taking a seat next to Kratos (she was sure to leave a few inches between themselves), she handed him one of the steaming mugs.

"Good morning."

"Thank you." He took it from her, their fingers brushing as the ceramic exchanged hands.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Enough."

"I apologize for calling you bull-headed last night. That was juvenile." Raine said, staring straight into his thoughtful, brown eyes.

"Perhaps." He watched her over the rim of his cup as he drank his tea.

She raised an eyebrow. Was he looking for another fight?

"I shouldn't have left you in the ballroom with Shiro." Kratos continued, his voice low as he swept his dark eyes towards the waterfall.

"I told you to go."

"Doesn't matter."

"You realize that's insulting."

He turned to her, his angular features drawn into an expression of confusion.

"That was my decision. And your statement indicates that you do not believe I have the ability to assess a situation and choose a practical course of action."

"That was not my intention."

"Good. Then let it go." Raine said calmly, taking a sip of her tea. "Besides, what would've happened if you hadn't left? Colette might have been killed."

It was simple logic. All the same, Kratos tended to brood more than others.

Greeted with silence, she decided to change subjects: "I was thinking about the verse Regal found during our flight yesterday. I'm inclined to believe the orbs are the ' _treasures of old_ ' mentioned."

Swiftly, the angel shifted his gaze back towards her, his dark eyes locking onto hers with interest. "I as well."

"The fact that Ratatosk wants these orbs and that this woman Kimbell did everything she could to hide them makes me think they are some sort of key." Setting down her tea, Raine pursed her lips as she recalled the words of the mysterious lyric.

"Perhaps."

"I think they are the reason she lost her mind."

"What makes you think she went mad?"

" _Her mind around the bend_."

"I see."

"Supposedly Kimbell was a summoner, which gave her special access to the summon spirits. Maybe other things as well, such as these orbs." Pausing to collect her thoughts, Raine continued, "What I want to know is why she had them in the first place, how she found them, and why she wanted to bury them."

They fell silent, the subject laying a shadow of unease over them.

"Anesidora's Box." The Seraphim commented and sipped his tea.

"What?"

"The legend."

Picking up her tea, she gave him a quizzical look. "It's more of a children's story than legend. Anesidora was the First Elven Woman to set foot on Aselia. The Elders gave her a box of magic, warning her to not open it and bury it where no one could ever find it. Anesidora's curiosity got the better of her and she opened the box. Evil escaped into the world. However, she quickly realized her mistake in time to shut the box and keep hope inside." Her heart skipped a beat. "Don't tell me it's true."

"No, I don't think so. But perhaps the situation was similar." The man shrugged, his shaggy auburn hair moving left to right.

"For a moment, I was afraid you were going to say Anesidora was real."

"Really?" The angel snorted.

"We have encountered quite a bit of magic and impossible situations over the past few years."

"She existed a millennia ago."

"True. I guess if you met her, you'd be _very_ old." She smirked.

"You enjoy making fun of my age."

"It was too easy."

"You think I'm easy?"

Heat rose in her face.

"What? No, I didn't say that." Raine jumped up from her spot. "Shall we go?"

Without waiting for an answer, she hustled back to the campsite, her heart thumping in her chest.

A half an hour later, after everything had been packed (conversation had been at a minimum after the joke as she had no idea what to make of it, but her imagination decidedly had its own thoughts on the subject), they took to the skies, flying straight for the Grace Cathedral (or at least where Genis had predicted it would be, though Raine was confident in his skills despite being cross with him regarding his recent behavior).

Finally, the pair arrived at their intended destination at midday. It was still overcast to her dismay; it appeared that would rain soon. Hopefully they would leave soon enough to avoid the it. Flying in the rain would not be ideal.

Hovering some fifty feet off the ground, Raine took in the sight of the large cathedral set into the slope of the mountain, which bordered the ovular basin. It was carved out of the mountain's sandstone, a structure that had become a permanent fixture of the landscape, determined to stand the tests of time.

But it was not to be. Its two parallel spires rose high into the rock, their tops chipped and smoothed from weathering, eliminating the moldings that used to exist. An arc was carved in the rock between them, inset with shapes of sacred symbols of the Church that were beginning to fade. The archway beneath held two large metal doors, outlined with some metal akin to silver, though there were jagged spaces in between the pieces; some were missing (a shame as they were most likely taken from thieves and tomb raiders). As she studied it, she recognized that the architecture was reminiscent of the churches built during the Asgardian Age, but different enough that it could not belong to that time period.

The archaeologist's mind swirled with questions as she considered the cathedral. It was over 4000 years old. When had it been built? What kept it intact in such a way that it had not faded into dust in the side of the mountain, even though there were certain portions that had begun to decay? What was the meaning behind its name, 'The Grace Cathedral'?

The half elf swept her eyes over the rest of the valley, and a glint caught her eye. Some fifty feet away, across from the basin, was a large white house surrounded by an equally large grassy lawn, encased in a dome that shimmered in the sunlight (the only way she would've been able to see it was there). Raine cocked her head to the side. What was a home doing out here in the middle of nowhere?

Kratos pointed downward towards the Cathedral and the half elf acknowledged the gesture. They flew earthward, touching down just a few feet away from the holy site, and disembarked. As the pair walked towards the entryway, they came upon a large sign blocking their way. Big red letters shouted at them, angry and menacing:

KEEP OUT!

PROPERTY OF NOLAN INC.

TRESPASSERS WILL BE PUNISHED!

Inquiries for visitations must be made at Nolan Inc GC Branch.

"The Church doesn't own the Cathedral?" Raine murmured, reading the message once more. This was an interesting development.

"It appears so." The angel said next to her, arms crossed over his chest in his usual fashion.

"We need to find this Nolan Inc."

"Why? We could simply enter."

"Break in, you mean."

"We need to find the orb." Kratos said flatly.

"Yes. But I would prefer to do it lawfully." She shot back.

"We'll lose time."

He was right. They did not have time to delay, nor backtrack. Ratatosk had been rather silent, only responding to Seles' updates with as many words as needed to acknowledge her progress. What that meant, none of them knew. However, the half elf hypothesized that it wasn't good.

"If they don't know anything at the house, we'll send a message to Yuan asking about the whereabouts. If he turns up nothing, or if it's too far, we'll make our own way." She compromised. "That shouldn't take long. An hour at most."

"Fine."

They headed back to the rehairds and zoomed towards the dome-enclosed home. Parking a few feet, Raine and Kratos made there way to the front of it (or what appeared to be the front; it was difficult to tell). Leaning forward, she stared at the dome: the foggy white surface revealed diamond tessellations like she had seen in magitechnology. Perhaps it was another advancement in technology. But what was this material? She had never seen anything like it. Delicately, the half elf reached out and placed her hand on the dome. It felt slick and cool under her fingertips.

Bright green light encircled around her hand, and the sound of a melodic bell filled the air. A serene, computer-like voice said, "Welcome to Nolan Inc. How may I help you?"

Raine and Kratos exchanged a look of wariness. At least they had found the place they were looking for.

"Hello. We wanted to inquire about entering the Grace Cathedral." The half elf said, removing her hand from the surface.

"Why?" A male voice growled, replacing the previous, calm one.

"I'm a historian and am very interested in this site."

It wasn't not true, just not the primary reason they were there.

"Why?"

"I'm conducting research on various holy grounds for the High Priestesses."

Kratos raised his eyebrows. She ignored it.

Silence greeted her response. Raine took a deep breath in, holding it for a moment, then exhaling. Hopefully this person wouldn't ask too many other questions.

"Come in."

A door materialized and Kratos stepped through, holding it open for Raine as she entered. Hot, humid air washed over her as they progressed down the path towards the house. As she looked at the grass on either side of the path, she could see tomatoes, eggplants, and all sorts of vegetables growing in the earth. Nearby, chickens clucked and a rooster crowed.

 _It must be a biosphere._

The Professor had heard of such places before in Tethe'alla, but never actually seen one. Usually, they were constructed in landscapes that were difficult to settle and had everything needed to sustain the residents underneath the dome.

A self-sufficient home in the middle of the barren wilderness. It was strange indeed.

Once they reached the end of the path, Kratos knocked on the white, square door of the equally square building. A few seconds later, it flung open to reveal a short, squat man. Pale skin and dark circles under his eyes, he stood with his hands on his hips. He was balding, eyes squinting from beneath his square spectacles, a disgruntled expression contorting his face.

He studied them like flies under a microscope, deciding the level of their worth. Grunting, he pivoted on his heel and headed further into the home without a word.

Raine shot Kratos a look and he shrugged. They followed the short man inside, into what appeared to be a sitting room just off of the foyer. Plopping down on a couch, the short man waved carelessly at the pair to sit opposite him. They sat down, side by side, leaving inches between themselves, as they had at the cove.

"I am Grimwald Nolan. Who are you?"

Nolan. It appeared they were in the right place.

"My name is Selene Meyer, and this is my companion Auron Kaydo." Raine responded without blinking. Best to keep their identities under wraps should anything terrible occur.

Narrowing his eyes, Grimwald leaned forward, elbows on his knees, bushy eyebrows canopying his gray eyes. "A half elf and a man. _Why_ are you here?"

"As I said before, I'm here conducting res—"

"For the High Priestess, blah blah blah." He rolled his eyes. "What do those Church witches want?"

Folding her hands in her lap, Raine clenched her jaw but kept her face blank. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the angel stiffen.

"For starters, I would like to know when it was built. The archives only have a range of dates and it would be most helpful to have a concrete one."

"Heh. Of course they'd lose their own history. You don't put people in charge that have no experience. Especially a half elf bastard." He sneered. Raine fought the flare of anger that burst to life in her stomach as he continued: "Anyway, I only know it was during the end of the Cartesian Dynasty.

The Cartesian Dynasty was set before the Asgardian Age. The Cathedral was most certainly older than she expected.

"At least, that's when the books in there were composed. Next question."

Books.

Her heart leapt.

"Do you have these tomes?"

"Of course. I keep them in my library."

She gasped and leaned forward. A library...that meant there were lots of them.

"What types of books?"

"Mostly archives of parishoners and priests and priestesses throughout the years. Ledgers regarding payments and accounts. Texts about the tenants of the Church, specific ceremonies for the seasons." He said carelessly, shrugging as his head rolled around his shoulders

"Ceremonies? What kind?"

"The Church used to do a Summer Solstice ceremony. And the Cathedral hosted a festival for the Fall Equinox."

"I've never heard of such a thing!" Her eyes widened and her imagination ran wild. Old festivals of the Church. Did those have any connection with the religions of old?

"I've also got some old scrolls written in Elvish and Coptic."

Coptic? She gasped again, eyes alight with delight. There were so few texts these days written in the oldest human language. Only a handful of people wrote the language; fewer could speak it.

"That's fantastic! It would be amazing to study them!"

"Yeah. You won't find them any other place." Grimwald gave her a smug grin.

"Could I see them?"

"Selene." Kratos warned, his voice pulling her back to the present. The woman could hear the undertone: _stay on track._

Sighing, she resumed her questioning: "Do you know who built the Cathedral?"

"Queen Anne or Queen Elizabeth. The remaining histories don't say whether it was mother or daughter."

"We saw the sign outside the entryway. Do you own it?"

"Yes. They're not trying to steal it from me, are they?" The man's nostrils flared.

"No. They are simply looking to fill the gaps in their histories."

"Fine. It was falling apart; bought it from the Church ago."

"Why? Did they sell it to you that is." Raine cocked her head to the side, curious.

"It was thirty years ago. The Pope sold it to me; the Church was struggling. The world looked a lot different than it did now." He mused, a dreamy smile passing swiftly over his grumpy features. "I paid a pretty penny, but worth it."

"Why?" Kratos interrupted, eyes narrowed. Raine shot him a cautionary glance.

"That's a personal question." Grimwald retorted.

"Apologies. We did not mean to overstep." The half elf half smiled.

The old man slumped back into his plushy couch and observed her with beady eyes. She did not budge under his scrutiny, but his gaze made her skin crawl.

Finally, he opened his mouth. "I was a scholar like you once. My research focused on the period when humans stopped being polytheistic and started following Martel."

"An interesting subject." The old religions. She did not know much about them, another subject on her ever-growing list to explore.

"There wasn't a lot to go on at the time, but I had myself some good digs. Found lots of interesting things. Now, everything on the subject that exists is all written by me." His sneer covered his face from on end to the other.

 _No wonder he can afford to pay for a biosphere._

"Did the Cathedral play a large part in that portion of history?"

"No. I just saw it was for sale and bought it after I did a dig on the opposite side of the basin. Seemed like good real estate at the time." He laughed, the sound scratching at her ears, making her wince.

She nodded and fell silent. The conversation, as fascinating as it was, was going nowhere. As much as she wished to question this man (no matter how unsavory he was) about the Cathedral and other subjects, they needed to find the orb.

"One of the old scrolls mentioned an artifact inside the Cathedral. Did you find any such item when ownership transferred to yourself?"

The man glowered.

"What kind of artifact?"

"An orb."

"...no."

That was a lie if she ever heard one.

Gently, Raine continued, "Are you certain? It would've been of a bright color—"

"That's enough questions." He stood abruptly.

"Mr. Nolan—"

"I don't need to be interrogated by a thieving half elf."

"Excuse me?" She rose, eyes narrowed.

"You're trying to steal my possession. That's why you're asking all these questions!" Grimwald snarled. "I bet you're not even working with the Church. Get out of my house right now, you thieving bitch!"

"Do not speak to her that way." Kratos growled, already across the room, advancing on him.

"Why do you care? You're disgusting, consorting with half elves."

"I'd be very careful of the next thing you say."

"Father? I didn't know we had guests."

A woman with ivory skin walked into the drawing room, her hair a light brown to match her hazel eyes. She surveyed the scene, taking in the anger hovering between the angel and the old man while the half elf stood a few feet away.

"None of your concern, Fiona." Grimwald snapped.

"It is my concern of who comes and goes." She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, her ponytail swaying behind her with frustration.

"We were just leaving." Raine said.

"No, please stay." The woman turned to Grimwald. "Father, it's time for you to rest."

"I don't need rest. I need to go check on _.._." He shot a glance at Raine and Kratos, his eyes wide. Crazy.

Raine's stomach turned on itself.

"You do not."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"If you take your rest, I will bring it to you." Fiona said, her voice soothing, smooth like molasses. "How does that sound?"

Grimwald raised his brow, questioning.

"I've already readied your bath. I will also bring you some sherry." She gave him a sweet smile and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Fine."

He scowled at Raine and Kratos once more, then sauntered away, going deeper into the house.

Fiona sighed and shook her head. "I'm so sorry about my Father. Can I help you with something?"

"I wanted to learn more about the Cathedral and the artifact it held." The half elf said. No reason to beat around the bush anymore.

"Ah. I see why he got so angry." Fiona grimaced. "Unfortunately the Cathedral has fallen into disrepair over the years, though when father found it, it appeared to be in good condition. I plan to send a letter to the Church asking if they will aide in renovations. There is so much history there, it would be a shame for it to waste away."

Raine smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

"Honestly, I would love to see it become active again, though that may be too much to hope for given its isolation from civilization." Fiona shrugged. "I apologize, you also wanted to know about the artifact."

"Yes." Kratos interjected, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"My father found it when he first explored the cathedral. The orb, right?"

The angel nodded.

"How do you know of it?"

"There are ancient scrolls that mention the orbs as part of an ancient ritual. The High Priestesses are collecting the holy artifacts for display in the Main Cathedral in Meltokio for those making a pilgrimage." Raine answered.

"Oh, that's a splendid idea." Fiona smiled.

She walked towards a painting on the far wall; a portrait of an old woman with gray hair, green eyes, think cheekbones, and a scornful expression. Pushing it to the side, Fiona revealed a safe. Typing in a few numbers on the keypad, she opened the small steel door to reveal a blue orb, the color of the deep ocean.

Delicately, the woman took out an object and turned to face them, holding it in her hands. She stared at it, blue light washing over her features, as she said, "When my father found it, he asked the Pope what it was. He didn't know, nor did he seem to care, so my father claimed it as his own."

"It's unfortunate the Church did not know what it was." Raine murmured, entranced by the glowing sphere.

"Yes. Now...well he hates to let it out of his sight. Sometimes he gets violent when we put it away." Fiona looked up at them with sad eyes. "I don't mean to sound superstitious, but I think this thing has...taken him over somehow."

"What makes you say that?" Kratos questioned, his voice sharp.

"He's been sick for years and the doctors have no idea why that is. He'll spend hours looking at this thing instead of doing activities he used to love so much. He doesn't do much research anymore, or writing for that matter. He turned down three speaking engagements last month because he didn't want to be away from it for so long." She hesitated. "He was never like this when I grew up."

Raine swept her gaze to Kratos, who met her eyes immediately. An unspoken agreement passed between them.

"Take it." Fiona whispered.

"What?" The half elf whipped around to see the woman offering the blue orb to her.

"Please. Take it. If it saves my father, I want you to take it."

Silently, the half elf nodded. Accepting the orb from Fiona's outstretched palms, Raine felt it buzz in her hands as soon as its surface came into contact with her skin. The sea blue turned to sky blue and she felt the familiar pull eager to swallow her up completely. She turned towards Kratos, who took it from her without ceremony, dropping it into the pouch at his side where the other two rested. As they clinked together, she could hear a slight high pitched noise, but it receded into nothingness within seconds.

"You must go now. Before he realizes it's gone."

As they headed for the door, Fiona called out, "Be careful."

Together, the half elf and angel left the house and the compound, making their way across the desolate landscape towards their aircraft in silence. Minutes later, they stood by their rehairds, both quietly contemplating the experience.

"I did not expect that." Raine said, breaking the silence.

"Neither did I." Kratos replied. "You were right. It was driving him mad."

"We need to get those to a safe place."

Cold water splashed onto her nose and she turned her vision skyward. Another few droplets of rain showered down, hitting her cheeks, gently sliding down the slope of her pale face and disappearing off her chin. The clouds, darkened from their cargo, had begun to unleash it.

Inwardly, she glowered. They would have to fly through the rain.

"Let's go." The angel said.

The pair boarded their rehairds and raced upward into the sky. As they sped southward from the Grace Cathedral towards Tethe'alla's capital, the rain continued to drizzle down onto them.

An hour later, the rain metamorphosed from a light shower to a full downpour. Water gushed down, soaking the half elf completely, sticking her clothes to her body like a second skin. The rainfall thickened before her eyes; even with her sharp vision, the half elf could hardly see what was in front of her.

Her heart raced. Blood roared in her ears. Images of plummeting into the ocean filled her mind.

 _She was screaming. Drowning._

Raine breathed. Again. And again, each breath quicker, shorter than the previous one.

 _The waves covered her, one by one, overwhelming her. Pushing her down into the dark of the ocean._

Her vision blurred. Her chest constricted.

 _She screamed under the sea. Water filled her throat._

Her lungs burned; her breath ragged.

 _She drifted, lifeless, swallowed by the dark water._

"Raine! What's wrong?" Kratos shouted over the rumble.

The woman tried to answer, but her throat closed; the words a strangled, unintelligible cry.

He flew up next to her, looking her dead in the eyes through his matted hair. "Breathe. Take a breath."

She nodded and tried, but sputtered, coughing.

"We will be alright." He held her gaze, his brown eyes serious. "Do you trust me?"

Again, she nodded, keeping her eyes on his, her breath coming easier as she focused on the man.

"There are lights not too far from us. We'll stop there for the night. Can you make it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Follow me." And he flew forward, taking up a position right in front of her.

Raine sped behind the angel, eyes laser-focused on his back, struggling to keep her breath steady. Clutching the handlebars, the half elf revved the engine and felt the vibration echo through her body.

 _Focus._

Through the rain they flew, steadily descending as the lights from the ground came closer with each second. As they neared, she could see a large, tall building with two roofed pathways on either side at ground level. Finally, they slowed their pace and landed under one of the rooftops lined with small blue lightbulbs. Ten feet away was the building, blazing with yellow light. Above the doorway was a curved sign twinkled in the rain: ROYALE RESORT.

Raine stepped off the rehaird; her legs wobbled. Adrenaline coursed through her veins; it was difficult to feel her lower body. Blinking rapidly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. Panic slowly withdrew from her tightened body. She was on solid ground, out of the rain.

She was safe.

Securing the rehairds and grabbing their drenched bags, Kratos took Raine's hand and led her inside. It was warm, though the grip was tight, but she didn't care. It grounded her, served as a reminder of where she was: out of danger.

As they hurried into the lobby, soaking wet, an attendant appeared at their side. "Can I take your coats? I can put them in our drying room."

"Yes." Kratos removed his and helped Raine with hers.

Exhaling, the half elf felt the adrenaline recede and her lungs fill with air. The tingling in her muscles began to disappear and normal awareness started to return. Her shoulders fell from her neck and she wiped her wet hair out of her face, taking another deep breath in, calming her racing heart. Looking around, the woman instantly recognized where they were.

"Serendipitous."

"Hmm?"

"We stopped here on the Journey." Raine looked at the man, who appeared cool and calm, unaffected by what had happened to her (she didn't know if that was annoying or relieving). "At the time you were with Cruxis."

"I see."

"They have lovely hot springs, but I doubt they would open tonight."

He chuckled as they walked towards the front desk.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They arrived at the reception desk where a raven-haired, ebony-skinned woman greeted them. She looked perfect, like a doll: no hair out of place, make-up perfectly done, not a wrinkle on her clothes. "Checking in?"

"Yes. No reservation." Kratos replied.

"I have a room on the third floor."

"We need two."

"I have one on the third and one on the fourth."

"Fine."

"That'll be 200 gald."

Before Raine could dig for her wallet, Kratos already had the bills on the desk.

"Kratos." The woman pursed her lips.

"Don't argue." He turned his gaze on her.

Raine glared back; he did not flinch.

"Here are your keys. The elevators to the left will take you to your rooms. Please let us know if you require anything else." The agent said, interrupting their silent battle of wills.

The man took the keys and gestured in the direction of the elevators. Huffing, Raine followed him and the trail of water left by their bags. "You didn't need to do that."

"It was simpler."

"It would have taken only a minute more."

"If you want to, you can reimburse me. But it is not necessary." Kratos paused. "Or wanted."

Being indebted to someone was not a position she ever put herself in if she could avoid it. However, the woman did not wish to insult him given his considerate treatment of her.

"Thank you."

He grunted.

The jingle of a bell split the air as the elevator arrived. Its metallic doors slid open and the two companions walked inside, standing at opposite ends of the box. Seconds passed and the doors shut, shooting them upward into the building.

"Dinner?" The angel asked, nonchalant.

"I think I may just retire for the evening. It's been an exhausting day."

He nodded.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Kratos handed her a key and her bag, and stepped out of the metal box.

"Goodnight, Raine."

"You as well."

Then he pivoted and walked down the hall.

The doors slid closed and she exhaled, savoring the solitude. Too much had occurred this day, and she needed time to process it, much less do some work before her meeting tomorrow with the Queen (no rest for the wicked). But first, she needed a warm bath, a glass of wine, and ideally a cookie (chocolate chip to be exact; a guilty pleasure of hers that not even Genis knew about).

At the same time, the woman wondered if she should have considered Kratos' proposal for dinner. They achieved what they set out for: both orbs. Additionally, they learned a bit about history that could provide clues to the origins of the orbs and that information needed to be dissected. And — she hated to admit it — they brainstormed well together.

But she was reluctant to spend more time with him at the moment; the embarrassment of the ordeal during the storm was still fresh in her mind as well as his taking care of her as if she were a child. Not that she wasn't grateful for his navigation, but all the same it was humiliating.

The elevator stopped and she got off. Looking at her key, she saw the number four. Glancing at the sign, the half elf turned left down the hallway, searching for her room. Delighted, she identified it at the end of the hall, away from all the other guests.

Opening the door, Raine flipped on the light switches to find the room a mix of soft blues and yellows. She smiled; it was cozy; exactly what she needed. To the right was a large armchair next to a fireplace (it would be perfect for preparing her notes). To the left was a large bed, set with a bunch of throw pillows (hopefully it would be soft, similar to the bed in the Ambassador's suite in Meltokio's Palace). Turning on the fireplace, she zipped open her duffle bag and lay out her sodden clothes to dry during the night.

Sitting by the fire, feeling the warmth lick her skin, she found herself stuck between possible courses of action. It would be easy for her to take a nice long bath and then get to work. Or she could take a quick shower to speed up the process.

Her stomach grumbled. The strain of the day had taken its toll on her body and now she needed sustenance. Stripping out of her wet clothes and tossing them by the fire, the young woman grabbed the pamphlet from the bedside table. As she flipped through it, she stopped at the amenities section. The list included: complimentary breakfast, laundry service, 24-hour concierge, hot springs, fitness center, indoor pool, sauna—

Sauna.

Now that was exactly what she wanted; the perfect substitute for the hot springs. It was still open and would be for the next hour. And there were swim suits available to buy if guests forgot theirs (not that she really wanted to buy a new suit, but in this case, she was willing to allow the otherwise unnecessary purchase). Slipping back into her wet clothes with a shiver, Raine left, eager to sit in a warm space and feel the stress melt away.

Minutes later, the young woman walked into the woman's locker room to find it empty. Conceivably that meant no one else would be using the facilities. She changed into her new swimsuit, which was a tad small for her, but they were out of the next size. To her chagrin, it was tight around her chest and her...backside. As she turned around in the mirror, she couldn't help but think that she did look rather good despite these shortcomings. All the early morning exercising was doing the trick.

Grabbing a towel, the woman walked into the bathing area. A few people (all humans) sat together in the hot tub, chatting enthusiastically, while another two stood under the cold showers. To the far right, she saw the door to the sauna and headed straight for it, feeling the eyes of the other occupants on her as they lowered their voices. But she ignored it.

When Raine stepped inside, she found the room to be empty. A relief. Closing the door, she went to the heater, dipped the ladle in the water bucket beside it, and poured onto the steaming rocks. Steam filled the air, clouding the room, giving it a hazy quality. She climbed to the top level and sat in the far corner, inhaling the hot air and filling her lungs with it, purifying them.

As the half elf began her rhythmic breathing, her thoughts drifted. How was Genis doing? She'd only heard from him in the group conversation a few days ago when Colette discovered the orb was missing. Privately, she'd attempted to engage him, but he'd been laconic. Not rude, just not verbose. It tickled her: something was not right. But she was comforted by the idea that if it were dangerous or serious, he would've told her.

Yet a shade of doubt passed through the woman. The Sage siblings had a tendency to occasionally keep problems from each other to ensure the other wouldn't worry. Genis had increasingly engaged in this behavior over the past few months.

Inwardly, she hoped her instincts were wrong.

Then there were Sheena and Seles. How the two young women must be fairing given Zelos' situation, Raine did not know. The half elf could only imagine they were both significantly distressed to say the least. Nonetheless, it sounded that despite the failure to procure the orb at the Abbey, they had made some sort of peace during their trip.

The door creaked and her eyes flew open, her mind grabbed from its solace. Someone had decided to join her.

And she looked to see Kratos.

Of course he was naked from the waist up, a towel wrapped around his lower half. Through the mist, Raine could see his frame, the perfectly sculpted muscles in his arms, and the outlines of his abs.

Good goddess. Fate was playing a cruel game with her.

His head swiveled around the room and he caught sight of her.

"I thought you would be asleep."

"No. My mind wouldn't rest with everything happening."

"I will leave you alone then."

"No need."

Though she would have preferred to be left alone, especially given his state of dress. But that was an irrational response. Although, being in his company occasionally prompted such things in her, which she did not appreciate.

He nodded and took a seat on the lowest level. Raine leaned her head back against the wooden wall and inhaled, closing her eyes once more. Her peace disrupted, the half elf could not allow her mind to wander again.

"May I join you?"

Always the gentleman, but one might never know given his disinterested attitude. She opened her eyes; he was standing now at the bottom. She nodded and he climbed up, sitting next to her, his body only a few inches from hers.

"How are you?"

"Exhausted."

"As am I."

"How long is the flight to Meltokio from here?"

"Four hours."

"If we leave at 8:00am, I'll be on time for my meeting with the Queen."

The conversation paused as they both fell silent. Raine felt the awkwardness grow but did nothing to alleviate it. If the man had something to say, he would do so. After all, he was the one who requested to join her.

"An odd place for a resort." He commented.

"You mean in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes."

"It helps that they have the hot springs." She crossed her ankles, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"True."

"I believe Regal's company owns it."

"Really?" His tone went flat.

Raising an eyebrow, Raine turned her face towards him, reminded that Kratos was not a fan of the nobleman's. "Regal bought the property shortly after the World Regeneration."

"So...we could have received a discount?"

"You've become quite the comedian in the past few months."

"Only with the right company." There was a twinkle of mirth in his dark eyes.

Warmth, different from the heat on her skin, bloomed in her core. She smiled and her shoulders fell (she hadn't realized they were tensed).

"What was he like? Ratatosk, that is."

"Arrogant mostly. Intense."

"And Mithos imprisoned him."

"It was the only way for Mithos to create the world he wanted." The angel said, running his hands through his hair.

"What did Ratatosk do when he found out Mithos' plans?"

"It was too late. Mithos surprised Ratatosk and banished him just as he stole the Great Seed."

Raine frowned. "Banished to the Ginnungagap. What do you know of it? Was it always there? Before the elves came to Aselia?"

"Not until Anesidora's box."

Rolling her eyes, the woman rubbed the back of her neck. The sauna was certainly doing the trick, easing the soreness in her muscles. Her skin was pleasantly warm, though she knew maybe five more minutes would be her limit.

"You're not running again, are you?" He asked.

"I assume you're talking about those flyers from the All Races Coalition for Raine Sage."

He said nothing.

"I don't know anything about them, or who distributed them. And I don't have time to figure out why someone is trying to encourage the notion that I am running. Or force me into it."

"Who else is running?"

Keira had messaged her in the morning with the latest news. "Neil officially declared his candidacy. So did Archibald of Izoold. Michelle Yamaguichi is considering running, but she only has a year of experience as the Mayor of Luin. And Bastion of asgard is also considering running. The deadline to declare is in three days."

"Who do you want to win?"

"Neil."

"Is he interested?"

"Possibly. But he may not want to leave Palmacosta."

"And who do you not want to win?" He wiped the sweat from his forehead in his casual way.

Raine looked away, forcing her mind to focus on his question. "Archibald. He would be terrible. He has no sense of what it means to be leader. He simply wants the position because of his large ego."

"The one problem with democracy: the possibility someone terrible will take charge."

"A choice is better than none."

"Do you think the Tethe'allan monarchy is antiquated?"

"It's time for people to play a role in their futures."

"Yet you shy away from leadership."

"I've done what I set out to do. It is time for someone else to take up the mantle." And she wanted some privacy. Being in the public life for just over two years was enough for her.

"You could always take up espionage." He smirked. "It appears you have a knack for it."

"It was instinctual."

"It was impressive."

Inside, she glowed at the compliment, but she kept her tone indifferent: "I am well versed in pretending to be something that I'm not."

"Regardless, it was quick thinking."

"Thank you."

Kratos paused. "Has anything changed? Since the passing of the Half Elven Equal Rights Act?"

The man was very talkative. Curious. Not that she minded; it was much better than arguing. And pleasant; reminiscent of their conversations a few months ago.

"From a bureaucratic perspective, certainly. Changing people's perceptions is a different challenge entirely. That doesn't happen overnight. At least it is law and cannot be ignored."

The door opened and two men stepped inside, laughing boisterously. Her nose wrinkled. Standing, Raine said, "I'm heading outside."

The angel nodded, accepting the unsaid invitation.

They exited the sauna (the two men leering at her as she passed; did she see Kratos glare at them?) to find the spa empty. Hesitating, she watched the angel toss his towel onto a nearby patio chair and descend into the small, bubbling pool. Her heart bumped against her spine. Why was she nervous? She had no reason to be, though she was quickly reminded of her suit's smallness. Ignoring the buzz in her veins, she too tossed her towel next to his and stepped into the pool.

Taking a seat adjacent from him, Raine sank chest deep into the water and exhaled. A jet pulsed against her vertebrae and she purred.

"How is Genis?"

"Doing well in school, not that that is a surprise. But he is acting out."

"As a teenager does."

"So I've been told. It's the impetuous behavior that concerns me, not his general desire to declare his independence from me. He forgets to evaluate the consequences of his actions before moving to action."

"It will pass."

"Not soon enough. I can feel him pulling away each day." Raine shook her head. "I think you predicted that yourself, no?"

She wondered if he remembered that fight — that had truly been a fight — months ago.

Kratos frowned. "That's not what I said."

"It's just difficult to not be there for him, to protect him. I don't know if I told you, but last year there was an incident. Someone left him a death threat. The administration dealt with it quickly, found the student responsible and expelled him. But the trauma is still there. Genis and I have kept it to ourselves. You can only imagine what Lloyd would do if he knew."

"Has anything happened since?"

She could detect a touch of concern in his voice that softened her insides.

"He has one Professor who is less than inclined to give him the attention that he requires like the other students. And a few of his classmates are hostile. The majority keep their distance, but luckily he has a few friends." Raine looked down at her hands. The guilt of not supporting him as much as she could the past two years still weighed on her, though she had made an effort to be more involved since the episode with the Erinyes.

"What about yourself?"

Surprised, the half elf looked up and met his eyes, which held an emotion she could not identify. "Most who know me are too afraid to say such things due to my position. But there are others who don't care. When I travel where people do not know me, I encounter racism. These days it's less violent, and more harassment, if you understand my meaning." She said, reminded of the two men who watched her leave the sauna. It was a fact; she had no need to get emotional over things she could not control.

His face darkened and she said with disinterest, "I have been conditioned to it since a young age so it does not affect me as it once did. Perhaps apathy is not an appropriate response, but it kept me and Genis safe for many years. I made a mistake when I was younger, but I learned from it. Generally, I only find myself indignant when it affects others."

This was a bold-faced lie. There were still moments when she felt deep rage, disgust, and distressed when being the object of someone's hate or the victim of unwarranted discrimination. But that was all secret, even from Genis. And unpractical. These emotions did nothing to help her.

But she could not unfeel them, only push them down and drive them away.

"Your journey with Genis was difficult."

"You're full of questions tonight."

He scowled.

"I didn't say that was a bad thing." She said slyly. "No, it wasn't easy. And I wasn't fully mature at the time, an adolescent myself. I made some good decisions and some terrible ones, but did my best to keep them from impacting Genis in a negative way. Overall, I think I shielded him from most of it. What was most important to me though was instilling in him the desire to learn."

"It appears you accomplished this."

"He never knew how bad it was for us, and still doesn't. I was relieved when we came to Iselia. Then he learned about the Desians. That was a difficult conversation."

Kratos nodded.

"Lloyd's case is different. He's at another stage of life."

"True."

"Dirk has already imparted life lessons to Lloyd. But it is your job to guide him into becoming the man he'd like to be." Raine shrugged. "At least, that is my opinion."

"Guiding is not my forte."

"You've done it before, in a vague sense. Now you can be more direct."

The angel raised an eyebrow, questioning her.

"What about your father?"

"I would not use him as a role model." He averted his gaze.

"Why?"

"That is a personal question."

"I have been very open with you this evening." The half elf pursed her lips. "But I understand if you wish not to discuss it. I do not mean to pressure you."

Finally, he returned his eyes to hers, solemnity in them she had only seen once before, though his features remained blank. "He was absent. He never wanted children."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"The marriage was convenient."

He fell silent, and so did she. The young woman wasn't sure what was appropriate to say. Instead, she waited for him to direct the conversation again.

"She would've been the natural parent."

"Anna?"

It only took a second for Raine to know who he referred to.

"What was she like?"

"She could see straight to your soul." Kratos murmured. "Always looked for the best in people."

"Like Lloyd."

Kratos gave her a sad smile. "Yes."

The woman wanted to reach out to him, and comfort him. The sorrow in his eyes pulled at her insides, but she did not move.

Minutes passed and they sat in silence.

"Lloyd and Colette." The man spoke.

"You realize your questions come out as statements."

"And?"

"It's amusing."

"My purpose is to please."

"Wow, all this jesting and sarcasm. I'm amazed. Are you sure you're Kratos Aurion?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Not at all." She smiled coyly. "Perhaps."

Then she yawned.

"Am I boring you?" He smirked.

"You realize I have enough evidence to expose you as the secret comedian that you are."

"I'd deny it."

"Afraid I will ruin your reputation?" Raine returned with a smug smile of her own.

"Which is?"

"Impervious. Immune. Indomitable."

"Is that what you think of me?"

"That's for me to know." She laughed as she rose from the hot tub. Climbing out, Raine could feel the angel's eyes on her. A secret smile passed over her lips as she wrapped her towel around her body.

"Shall we?" Kratos asked as he wrapped his towel around himself.

They exited the sauna, passing through the locker rooms on each side, meeting just outside at the elevators (he now wore a shirt over his trunks to her disappointment, but she too had slipped her clothes on over her suit).

"I assume you'll rest now."

"Probably not."

The elevators dinged and the doors opened.

"What will you do?" He stepped inside, holding the door for her.

"Prepare for the meeting tomorrow."

"Ah."

"Very exciting, I know." She joked, combing her hair behind her hair.

"But important."

"What will you do?"

"Sleep presumably."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"Goodnight." He said, his voice low, sending a shiver up her back.

"See you in the morning."

As Kratos stepped out of the elevator he looked back at her, a small smile on his lips. He opened his mouth to say something and she waited, heart skipping a beat.

Then the doors closed.

* * *

A/N: That was a long one...for obvious reasons haha. But hopefully I'll stay away from long ones. Trying to get through the story asap without sacrificing on quality because my updating is gonna go WAYYYYY down come end of August when I start school. Anywho, hope you enjoyed (/ˆ·ˆ)/° Leave some love~


	15. Are You Always This Suspicious?

Life had taken an interesting turn for the High Priestess. Upon her arrival back in Meltokio, Seles found herself the center of the city's attention, constantly bombarded by journalists with questions regarding the half elven rights movement. At first, she enjoyed the attention. It was easy to push her platform and make headlines on every media source in the city (both paper and digital). But the perpetual camera lenses in her face as she went to and from the Wilder mansion became increasingly irritating.

As she put the finishing touches on her makeup, rolling a rouge over her lips, the young woman wondered if this was how Zelos had felt as the Chosen. Had he always been under the microscope, his every move watched, evaluated, and judged? Did he begin to wake up each morning wondering if he would do the wrong thing and disappoint his friends?

No wonder he'd been so miserable, on top of the fact that his mother despised him. And there had been the constant reminder that others wished Seles had been the Chosen.

She frowned, thinking of her brother and his bright smile; a bright smile that she may never see again. Ratatosk had asked for an update on the missing orbs. When the half elf told him there was none, he hadn't responded. She had messaged him twice more, but did not receive a reply. Just remembering it made her stomach twist. Angering the already insane summon spirit was the last thing she wanted to do. There was no telling what Ratatosk would do to Zelos, a hostage inside his own body. They had to get him out.

Dotting the tears from her eyes, Seles sniffed and stood. Smoothing out her dress, she strode through her bedroom and tossed open the doors, ready to greet the day.

"Kendrick. We're going to the Palace this morning." Seles called out as she walked down the staircase to the foyer, moving these thoughts to the side for another time. Instead of donning her customary green dress and round, white hat, she had chosen a cream-colored dress with a Bateau neckline that traveled down just below her knees. Additionally, she selected a hairstyle that was half up and half down, the fiery tresses of her hair spilling over her shoulders, blazing against the immaculate nature of her dress.

The dark-haired man appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wearing all black, as was the uniform of a bodyguard. He was handsome no doubt, and there was something about his eyes that she liked. However, it stopped there. The young woman had a certain type, and it did not include leaner men.

"I've ordered the carriage already," Sebastian said as he came to stand beside Kendrick, his eyes crinkling in a reassuring manner.

She smiled; if there was ever a constant presence in her life, it was Sebastian. Although the half elf hadn't grown up in the Wilder house like Zelos, the old man had welcomed her and treated her as one of the family upon their very first meeting. He made her feel like she was at home instantly.

"Thank you, Sebastian. I won't be back until the end of the day today unfortunately. After the Palace, I'm heading to the Cathedral, then the Eastern Orphanage, and finally Cora's."

"Alright, miss. I'll have dinner prepared for you on your return."

"Ready?" Kendrick asked.

Seles nodded and headed for the front door. As the young man opened it, flashes of light blinded her vision. A strong hand took hold of her arm and lead her through the crowd. Shouts rained down on her ears from either side:

"High Priestess! Have you cut ties with the Queen?"

"Do you plan to continue with your duties with the Church? Or will you resign?"

"How is High Priestess Brunel? Is she working with you?"

"Lady Seles! Where is your brother?"

Her blood went cold. She faltered and began to turn.

"No time." Kendrick said and guided her — forcefully, which she did not like at all — into the waiting carriage. "Go!" The bodyguard called out to the driver as he slipped into the vehicle.

It was the first time anyone had asked where Zelos was. For some reason — a stupid oversight on her part — she hadn't even thought anyone would ask about his whereabouts. But with his sudden return to the capital a few months ago after being absent for so long, her brother had become a regular part of the landscape again (well, sort of; he had kept to himself with the exception of spending time with either her or Sheena...and now she knew why: fucking Ratatosk). Now, two weeks later, he was nowhere to be found.

She swore under her breath. People were beginning to ask questions, and they would keep asking them. Then what would she say?

"Everything alright?"

"Dandy."

Kendrick flashed her an annoyingly cheeky smile. "I thought the High Priestess was above such language."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"I don't. Doesn't mean I'm not surprised."

"Why did you take this position anyway?" The High Priestess retorted, her eyes narrowed. After she and Sheena had returned to the capital from their trip, the half elf received a few death threats (at least one a day now). They jarred her: the violent language that was used impacted her on a deep level. Reading the first one, Seles felt her resolve waver the tiniest bit, although it flared stronger once she remembered the many faces who had looked to her during the march.

It wasn't as though she hadn't known the risk she took by making herself the face of the Half Elven Rights movement. Nevertheless, having grown up in a highly sheltered environment like the Abbey, Seles was unfamiliar with being the subject of hate speech. It scared her, not that she would ever admit that. She was good at keeping a brave face.

Yet Sebastian had seen right through her and arranged for a bodyguard.

 _Bless him._

At the same time, she was pleased. Procuring a bodyguard meant she had ruffled more than a few feathers with the march on the palace. The movement in Tethe'alla was gaining momentum. Every day, the young woman heard of another town or city where its half elf citizens were hosting their own protest marches. Things were in motion.

It would only be a matter of time before the rules of the game changed.

"My contract with the City Guard is being renewed in a few months. I thought this would be an interesting assignment in the meantime."

Seles raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "That's it?"

"Are you always this suspicious?"

"Yes."

"Then let me assure you, I have no ulterior motive."

"We'll see."

The bodyguard cocked his head to the side, dark eyes studying her. "You're fairly direct. Like this other woman I know."

"Oh really? What is she like?"

Kendrick shrugged and turned his face towards the window to watch the city blur by. "She says things how they are. Doesn't sugar coat anything. She's pretty hard to read, but that's okay."

"You like her."

"What?" He whipped around to face her, embarrassed.

"Oh come on. Don't bother lying." Seles smirked. "It's fairly obvious."

"How?"

"Okay, maybe not fairly. But I can tell."

Kendrick cleared his throat, assuming an expression of neutrality. "So the Palace. I assume you're meeting with the Queen?"

The High Priestess rolled her eyes. If he didn't want to talk about this mysterious woman, fine. She wouldn't push it. At least, not now. It could prove to be a fun distraction later.

"Yes. She's the one that called the meeting. Hopefully, that bodes well."

"What do you mean?"

"We have a bit of a history. I'm hoping she's seen 'the light' as it were."

Kendrick chuckled.

"I bet you didn't think I had a sense of humor either, did you?"

"Don't worry, High Priestess. I've learned my lesson."

For the rest of the journey they rode in silence. Seles' thoughts wandered towards the upcoming meeting with the Queen. The last time they'd seen each other privately was when she'd petitioned Hilda to give half elves equality. Since then, they'd only met together in public functions, and Seles went out of her way to actively avoid the other woman (why bother tempting fate? She knew she had a short fuse, and there was no point in making a scene unless it suited her needs).

It had been six days, counting today, since the High Priestess had marched on the capital with seventy other half elves. Why today? What was Hilda going to say? Maybe she'd given up holding out and she'd go ahead and put through the amendment to the constitution.

Butterflies bounced around in the half elf's stomach. She prayed to Martel that it was meant to be.

Fifteen minutes later, the carriage arrived at the Eastern Gate of the Palace. It was the most secure; the front gate would draw too much attention of her arrival. Both she and the Queen wished to keep their visit as private as possible. Kendrick exited and helped her out of the vehicle (it was a very debonair move). Tossing a lock of her hair over her shoulder, Seles entered the Palace, passing under the entry arch decorated with purple and gold banners of the Royal Emblem, Kendrick at her side. As she walked down the corridors, she could see the various expressions of the guards to her left and right. While her bodyguard greeted them and exchanged pleasantries, a few retained their scowls as they realized who he was with. Sticking up her nose, Seles kept her gaze straight ahead. She had no time for them. She was on a mission.

"Your Majesty." Seles greeted, dropping into a curtesy as she entered Hilda's study.

The Queen looked up from her work and smiled, which annoyed Seles. Had she forgotten their argument a few months ago? Matters were unresolved between them, and the half elf was not about to yield simply because of the Queen's pleasantries.

"High Priestess. Thank you for coming." Hilda rose from the desk, her figure illuminated by the sunlight flooding the room through the flimsy white curtains. Crossing the room, she gestured for her guest to sit.

"I'll be outside." Kendrick said and exited, closing the door behind him.

"A bodyguard?" The older woman asked as she took a seat on the ivory sofa.

"Yes." Seles said as she sat across from her, straightening her spine and assuming a neutral expression.

"I wish my personal guards were as handsome." Hilda winked, twirling a corkscrew curl of golden hair.

Seles' eyes widened and her lips twitched upward, though she vainly attempted to fight the smile. The Queen chuckled and poured tea for them both as the half elf forced the giggle down in her throat. She would not give the Queen the satisfaction of entertaining her. This was a serious matter they were discussing, and she would not male peace unless the woman was ready to compromise.

"Why did you want to meet with me, you Highness?" Seles asked politely as she took the offered tea cup.

"You've made quite a splash with the Half Elf Rights Movement."

The High Priestess took a sip of her tea said nothing. There would be no olive branch from her side. She wanted to know what the Queen intended.

"Look, Seles." Hilda sighed. "I know you want this. I do too. But I'm in a place were my hands are tied. I could lose the support of the Council of Nobles if I put forth this amendment right now. I am happy to say publicly that we are in talks, thus delaying it until I can get past the need for the nobles."

"In six months time."

"Correct."

Another rehash of their previous meeting. Had Hilda expected her to forget?

It was insulting.

Blood boiling, Seles put her tea cup down and folded her hands in her lap. "No."

"What?"

"You've waited long enough. I understand you've been juggling a lot. But how long have we lived under the oppression of this system? I refuse to wait any longer. _We_ refuse to wait any longer."

"High Priestess. I strongly suggest you reconsider. If you d—"

"My Queen. I am going to fight for this until you make it an amendment. So will every single half elf in Tethe'alla. And I suspect we will begin to have support from Sylvarant as well. One way or another, this will happen. What side of history do you want to be on?" Her eyes flashed; her tone grazing the edge of anger.

The Queen's lips creased into a line. "Is your answer?"

"It is."

"That is all I wished to discuss." Hilda rose from her seat. "Thank you for coming."

"Your Majesty." Seles responded through clenched teeth. She curtseyed and left the room.

Stomping into the hallway, the High Priestess, waved at her bodyguard and started towards the exit. She wanted to be out of this god forsaken place as soon as possible.

"High Priestess?"

She swiveled to face a confused Kendrick.

"We're leaving."

He nodded. As they turned a corner, the young woman could see a head of silver hair walking towards her at the opposite end of the hallway. She stopped and exhaled, tension slipping from her shoulders.

Maybe the world wasn't against her.

"Raine." The young woman called out as she approached the half elf. She was surprised to see two guards accompanying the Ambassador of Sylvarant and not Kratos. But it wasn't her business.

"Seles, it's good to see you." The older woman inclined her head slightly. Her hair was pinned to the side, curving around the back of her neck and flowing down her left shoulder. Her outfit was simple: a silver blouse and black slacks, but she was a picture of effortless sophistication. When she was older, Seles wanted to look like Raine.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I suppose. Meeting with the Queen."

"Hopefully yours will go better than mine." Seles snorted.

"Oh?" The silver-haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Walk with me."

Instead of following the path to the main entryway, they took a right, passing into a small corridor. As they neared the end, a glass door to a small courtyard outside greeted them. Raine gestured for the guards to stop and entered the courtyard. Seles followed, indicating for Kendrick to wait as well.

"What's going on?" Raine asked as she took a seat on the stone bench.

"The Queen wants me to stop the half elven rights movement." Seles responded, sitting down next to her.

"Unsurprising."

Seles sighed, her expression morphing into one of concern and dismay. "How did you do it? How did you make it happen in Sylvarant?"

"Time. Patience." Raine responded. "You have to understand, there was no centralized government in Sylvarant. Things took quite a bit of time to put together before any sort of law could be discussed. As soon as that was put in place, I assumed the position of Chair. There was push back, which I'm sure you're familiar with," Seles nodded as Raine continued, "But as I moved things along, I began to plant this idea into everyone's heads. After a year had passed, I began campaigning openly."

"You had to wait a whole year?"

"Yes. It wasn't easy, but it was practical. I knew that moving earlier would jepardize any possibility of achieving equality."

Seles twitched her nose back and forth. "How did you get it to a vote? I know there were Convention members against it."

"A law can only reach the table if a half of the Convention petitions it. Then it can only pass with 80% approval. I luckily had the first 50%. It was getting the rest that took more strategy."

"Wow."

"That's why it was imperative that we handled the Erinyes immediately. Every attack they made and every broadcast they sent, it set me back. And I couldn't let that happen."

Seles furrowed her brow.

Raine cocked her head to the side. "Your case is much different thought. You've already pushed the matter to the forefront of the public eye."

"Was that a mistake?"

"No, I don't believe so." The older woman mused. "The monarchy is an old institution. It's existed since before the Great Kharlan War. It resists any change. What you're seeking to do is an uphill battle, but public opinion and discourse are essential now. They will keep the momentum spreading. The march on the city was a smart first step."

"Thank you."

"But you need to be careful. Not only for your well-being. Plan your next set of moves accordingly. Any misstep could set you back and lose the support of many, half elves and human allies."

"I will. I have a partner in this." Seles thought of Cora, and her smile. A small blossom of affection passed over the half elf's heart.

"It's not Colette though."

"No."

"Have the two of you spoken?" Raine brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes thoughtful as she looked at Seles.

"Not at length." The High Priestess murmured. She'd avoided conversation with Colette. She knew that was wrong, but the anxiety of confronting her spiritual sister made her heart squeeze.

"You should do it soon."

Seles nodded.

"Also, should you need anything, please let me know how I can help. I have the benefit of reaching a large platform. I intend to hint to the Queen that Sylvarant will openly support this movement."

"Really?!"

"I can't promise it will happen. Your government is providing extra aid to Luin, which is desperately needed. But intimating isn't a crime."

The High Priestess nodded again. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but pressuring the Queen was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Raine."

"I don't know if I'll see you before I leave, but I hope you're doing alright with regards to Zelos." Raine said and stood.

"As much as I can be." Seles shrugged, averting her gaze as she rose from her seat. She wasn't sure what to say, other than it weighed on her nearly every second of the day.

"Should you ever wish to talk to someone, I'm always available."

The older woman placed her hand on Seles' shoulder. Surprised, the redhead looked up, a glimmer of gratitude in her eyes. "I will keep that in mind."

"Good." Raine gave her a soft smile. "Stay well, Seles." Then she walked out of the courtyard, heading towards the Queen's study.

Sighing, the High Priestess rejoined Kendrick. It was comforting to hear that Raine supported her, and would use her influence to help. And the fact that she had extended the offer to lend an ear...There weren't enough words to describe the appreciation she felt, especially considering Raine was her role model (though she kept that to herself).

"Is that the Chair of Sylvarant? She's beautiful." Kendrick's words broke through her thoughts.

"Don't you already have a paramour?" Seles retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate."

She laughed. "I think I like you, Kendrick. I may yet keep you around."

"As your Holiness wishes." He bowed, a cocky grin spreading ear to ear.

Waving at him, she strode for the exit. "Enough politics. Let's go. I want to go do something I actually like."


	16. There Are Things in the Dark

Wind cut across his cheekbone as Yuan leaned against the stone pillar, tapping his foot impatiently. The back of his neck prickled as the cold air danced across his skin, but he did not flinch as his mind was solely consumed by one question: where in the fifteen hells was Kratos? They had agreed to meet at Exire at noon. Noon on the dot. It was now four past the hour. The half elf growled. Didn't anyone have the decency to be where they said they'd be?

Clenching his hands into fists, he began to pace around the landing pad, mind flitting from one thought to the next, trying to put pieces of a puzzle together that would remain incomplete, no matter how hard he tried. There were too many fragments missing. And that made the half elf feel out of the loop, for lack of a better phrase. Not that he was; it was completely ridiculous. He was the head of intelligence for Sylvarant for Goddess' sake; he was _always_ in the loop.

But this whole business with Ratatosk turned everything upside down. Everything was opposite from what it should be, and he couldn't make any sense of it. What use was his high IQ if he couldn't figure out the truth? Just like everyone else, Yuan was in the dark, and he hated to admit it. All of his resources were exhausted and he was no closer to the answers. He didn't know what the orbs were; he had no idea where to find the missing ones; he didn't know who this Kimbell woman was; he didn't know what Ratatosk was planning. And he didn't goddamn know what Presea was doing!

"Yuan."

He spun around, his blue ponytail snapping like a whip in the breeze. An austere pair of eyes met Yuan's. Kratos strode over, leaving his rheaird locked next to Yuan's.

"Kratos. Finally."

His friend narrowed his eyes as he reached the half elf, the usual stony expression adorning his face.

"It was only five minutes."

"Five minutes too long."

Over Kratos' shoulder, the Seraphim saw a head of silver hair and another rheaird descend to the landing platform. Who else wanted to visit the city of half elves (it really wasn't a city, it was more of a village, and a fading one at that). The man stepped to the side so Yuan could see Raine hopping off her own aircraft.

"What is she doing here?" Yuan scowled. This was not supposed to be a party. He could only tolerate so much social interaction, and one person, even if it was his best friend, was the maximum.

Kratos shrugged. "She wanted to."

Yuan opened his mouth to say something else, but the man narrowed his gaze and the half elf stopped. Of course Kratos hadn't dissuaded Raine from coming. He wasn't thinking with his head, he was thinking wi—

"Good morning, Yuan." Raine joined the two angels, inclining her head slightly, her silver hair swaying around her alabaster skin. "Thank you for letting me join you. Hopefully, we'll get the answers we're seeking this afternoon."

Reluctantly, the blue-haired man felt his shoulders fall from his ears, the tension dissipating. He nodded at her. The indignation seeped away. If anyone had to join the two angels, Raine was the perfect candidate. Her logical mind made her able to consider uncomfortable situations without allowing her emotions to get in the way.

So did Presea.

"Shall we?" Kratos turned, leading the way into the floating town.

As the trio passed by the villagers and their homes, Yuan watched them going about their daily activities, tedious as they were. But he specifically examined their expressions; many of exhaustion and hardship. The half elf hadn't visited Exire much in all his time on Aselia. It was a depressing place, not worth the effort to travel to and be bogged down in its atmosphere of languish, apparent by the decaying nature of the buildings and long faces of the adult half elves. Exire. Even the name suggested exile. Mithos had intended this to be a sanctuary for half elves, but it was anything but.

A group of half elven children playing a game of tag barreled through his path, their faces filled with smiles and laughs. The one spark of happiness in this crumbling city. Pitiful. They were oblivious to the nature of their destitution and the world below that hated them.

Ignorance was bliss.

Had it been this way when he was just a child, naively running through life? No. Though he hardly remembered his own childhood, growing up in Asgard as one of the few half elves, he knew it had been difficult (difficult was an understatement; it had been grim). Nonetheless, Yuan still remembered his mother and father, Dolores and Richard, and the years of persecution they endured because of their choice to marry outside their race.

Just thinking about the injustice made Yuan clench his insides. His parents had deserved nothing but happiness. Instead, the world tried to break them down.

But they did not yield. His parents had never given in to all the hate, and despite the societal pressure, had maintained a happy home (if a home could ever be happy for those in their situation).

His father had been a ranking lieutenant in the Sylvarant army and had inspired Yuan to enlist. Following in his father's footsteps and making him proud had been the young half elf's singular goal. He wanted to be strong like his father. Those years in the military were sharper in his mind than anything before. It had been a quick rise through the ranks; his weaponry skills unparalleled against any of his peers. They had called him a prodigy in the art of war (more like in the art of death, and that was a despicable reality). He had been well on his way to the rank of General, one of the most respected in the military.

That all changed one day. He'd never forget it, walking back to his barracks, eager for sleep when he was approached by a Tethe'allan Knight with two half elves in tow.

It was the first time he had seen Martel and Mithos. They looked like nothing but ignorant children, innocent in their quest to bring harmony to the warring world. Without a second glance, Yuan had dismissed them. And yet, after a failed attack that resulted in the decimation and murder of the majority of his comrades, he'd joined them.

He didn't want any more blood on his hands. Little did he know that that was exactly what he would facilitate.

Now, 4000 and some — who was counting anymore? — years later, here he was, still trying to remedy his mistakes and the selfish choices Mithos had made.

Minutes later, they arrived at the platform of the Summon Spirit Maxwell, these thoughts floating to the back of Yuan's mind. Kratos took a few steps towards the pedestal inscribed with runes and words of a language lost to the world and closed his eyes. The blue-haired man could hear the chanting in Kratos' whisper, and watched as the man began the Summoner's Call.

An explosion of light burst in the sky at eye level, blinding Yuan and he shut his eyes. Gritting his teeth, the half elf waited a minute than began to cautiously open his eyes. Once fully open, he took in the sight of an elderly man seated on a small, gray cloud, the wisps of his his long, white beard floating in the wind.

"Maxwell." Kratos greeted.

"This is a surprise. Yuan Ka-Fai and Kratos Aurion, companions of Mithos. I did not think I would meet with you again." He clasped his wrinkled hands together, studying the group with tired, gray eyes. It wasn't surprising he was exhausted. His powers were still devoted to keeping the decrepit city floating.

He ought to let it fall.

"Tell us what you know abo—" Yuan demanded.

"In good time. Who is this?" The Summon Spirit turned his gaze towards Raine, who met his with one of equal curiosity.

The blue-haired man frowned. This was no time for distractions. They needed answers now.

"This is Raine Sage. She traveled with the Chosen Brunel's group." Kratos supplied, casting a side glance at the half elven woman.

"Ah, I remember. The scholar." Maxwell pondered. "Also the daughter of the elf who lives here, if I'm not mistaken?"

"That's right." Raine responded, her voice emotionless.

"She is an interesting woman, that one. It's too bad her mind is lost." The old man shook his head and continued, "I assume though you inherited her intellect."

"Yes yes. She's smart. What we want to kno–" Yuan interrupted.

"You were always impatient. Hopefully she'll help you remedy that." Maxwell eyed him with a flicker of annoyance.

"What are you talking about?" Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Who will?"

"So you're here to ask me about Ratatosk, correct?"

"What do you know about him?" The half elf said through clenched teeth.

"He was the Summon Spirit of the Great Kharlan Tree. Powerful than all of us combined."

"What about Origin?" Raine questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Isn't he the Lord of the Summon Spirits?"

"Yes. But Ratatosk guards the tree."

"And is plugged into the origin of the mana stream." Raine concluded. "Whereas the rest of you are on branches from the stream."

"Astute." Maxwell said, a knowing smile spreading across his mouth.

Yuan rolled his eyes.

"That's odd. Why would Origin be named the Lord if Ratatosk is more powerful?"

"In his spirit form, Ratatosk is not allowed to leave his post by the Tree. Origin, if needed, can travel across the world without making a pact with a Summoner. The only other spirit with that ability is Aska, but Aska does not have the power that Origin has."

"So should anything terrible happen to the mana stream in any part of the world, Origin would be able to fix it with the aid of the nearby Summon Spirit."

"Exactly."

"And what about—" The woman began.

"Raine. We're not here for a history lesson." Yuan warned. He'd forgotten the archaeologist in her needed to know everything. A trait no doubt useful at certain times, but this was not one of them.

Unamused, she pursued her lips. "The both of you."

Kratos snapped his face towards hers and she smirked. Yuan stared daggers at the two, locked in their silent...thing. Whatever was going on, couldn't they do it on their own time? There were more important matters to attend to.

"Why is he looking for these orbs?" The blue-haired angel demanded of the Summon Spirit.

"Orbs?"

"Ratatosk wants these artifacts. ' _Artifacts of Old'_." Raine explained. "We found a verse about a woman named Kimbell that we believe is the key to understanding what Ratatosk's ultimate goal is."

Maxwell closed his eyes and shook his head, his small cloud swaying right and left. "It's worse than I thought."

"What?" Yuan asked flatly.

"Anesidora's Box."

Once again, Raine and Kratos exchanged a look.

"That children's myth? What does that have anything to do with this?" Yuan snapped. Couldn't the old man just get to the point?

"Are you saying it's true?" The young woman tucked her hands into her pockets, her brow knitted in concern.

The old man nodded, his face grave. "Parts of it are. It is not a myth, but a legend. Myths are stories to teach lessons. Legends are born from events that do occur. They are made more fantastical than the actual experience itself as the story is passed down over the centuries, but there are still truths in them. Undeniable truths. And this one is no different." Maxwell fell silent for a moment, his forehead furrowing, before he continued. "Kimbell Ellesen was the very first Summoner. I assume you know this already. She was also the first Guardian of the World Tree."

"Guardian?"

"A servant to Ratatosk, if you will. An elven servant."

"And what does this Guardian do?"

"Assist the Summon Spirit of the World Tree in any way that is needed. Guards the tree's well-being to the best of his or her ability."

"So what happened?" Yuan cut in, stopping the unnecessary questioning. Raine scowled, but the angel ignored her.

"10,000 years ago, the elves arrived at Aselia and transformed it into a livable paradise, different from the cold world of Derris-Kharlan. A planet where life bloomed instead of an ice comet, frozen in time. Slowly, the tree grew, and came to its full form 4,000 years later."

"Ratatosk told the Elders he required a Guardian to serve him; a person who could travel the world on his behalf when need be. And so the Elders elected Kimbell Ellesen to take the position. The Elders gave Kimbell an artifact to guard, something that was essential to protecting Aselia after the planet was injected with mana from the planting of the Great Kharlan Tree."

Kimbell was intended to be the Summoner and Guardian for all time as the artifact she possessed gave her immortality. As the Guardian of the Great Kharlan Tree, Kimbell spent most of her time with Ratatosk, with the exception of her yearly pilgrimages around the world. She and Ratatosk formed a strong... _partnership_. They relied on one another and trusted each other implicitly. When Kimbell was given the artifact, Ratatosk said he would guard it for her and keep it hidden from anyone, thus ensuring its safety and her longevity."

Ratatosk and Kimbell were more than just partners. That was obvious.

Rubbing his temples, Maxwell continued, "On one of her yearly pilgrimages, Kimbell was traveling around Memorex when she was kidnapped by the Queen Anne. She wanted to launch an attack against Bastion and take the lands for herself and her kingdom."

Yuan's blood ran cold. Bastion...that was the kingdom of Tethe'alla before it became known as that. And Memorex was Sylvarant. This was 6000 years ago.

"The Hammer of Thor did not yet exist, as you know. Queen Anne was an elf herself, very few know this." Raine gasped and Maxwell continued, "She knew about the artifact from the old tales and wanted it for herself. Kimbell escaped before Anne could learn the location of it."

"Kimbell told Ratatosk what happened and that she feared of the coming war between Bastion and Memorex. She was afraid of what a war would do to the Great Kharlan Tree." Maxwell stared at the group, his eyes solemn. "You all can understand given the Great Kharlan War."

Yuan's stomach crunched together as memories threatened to flood his mind.

"Kimbell took the artifact from Ratatosk, who cautioned her against using it. Whatever she did, she realized she had made a grave mistake. Then she hid it, and died. After, Ratatosk was never the same, and took his anger out on his fellow Summon Spirits."

Silence filled the air. The half elf couldn't believe what he heard. It was too fantastical. Something didn't make sense.

"How do you know this?" He narrowed his eyes.

"She came to me."

"Why?"

"A story for another time." Maxwell waved the matter away. "But she feared Ratatosk would try to take revenge upon the kingdoms if he knew where the artifact was. She did not want any more bloodshed."

"That doesn't explain what the orbs are." Raine mused, crossing her arms over her chest, a thoughtful expression arranging her features.

"That I cannot answer."

"Do you have any ideas of what this artifact is? What it was connected to?"

Maxwell turned his gaze skyward, his lips closed into a frown. After a moment of silence, he said, "I have one suspicion. The demon realm."

"Niflheim?" Kratos said sharply.

"When Kimbell came to me, she had been transfigured, deformed. Her body was covered in markings as black as night." Maxwell murmured.

Just like Zelos.

Yuan's heart thudded in his chest.

Kimbell _was_ Anesidora.

"There are things in the dark that are best kept there."

"How would we find out what the artifact is?" Raine asked quietly.

"That, I cannot answer. Only the Elders would know, though many of them have passed on." The old man exhaled. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Yuan prompted. None of this was good news.

"Kimbell had a sister, who was to take over should anything happen to Kimbell. When Kimbell died, Saronid became the next Summoner and Guardian. But without the artifact, her lifespan was limited to the normal elvish life. Her family line carried out the duties of the Summoner and Guardian for many centuries before they died out."

"You mean killed in the Great Kharlan War." The Seraphim said, a bitter tone in his voice. So many innocent people dead.

He couldn't let anything like that happen ever again.

Maxwell nodded. "If you could find anyone from their line, extended family or otherwise, you may find the answer that you need."

Raine and Kratos nodded, but a reluctance grew within Yuan, his body stiffening.

This wild goose chase would never end. They wouldn't ever find their answers. Ratatosk would win.

He swore under his breath.

"Thank you, Maxwell." Raine said. "Your assistance is much appreciated."

"If I can help you any more, please don't hesitate." Maxwell inclined his head. Then he dissolved into a ball of light, disappearing in front of them.

"Well, that was quite informative." Raine said, turning to the two Seraphim, taking a deep breath in. "It appears we still have much to discover."

Kratos nodded. Yuan grunted.

The half elven woman raised her eyebrow. "I appreciate the verbose responses, gentlemen. If you will excuse me, I'll visit my mother before we consider what our next actions are."

As she walked away, Kratos and Yuan began to amble towards the landing pad.

"How the hell are we gonna find these people?" The half elf snarled, holding his hands behind his back to keep from fidgeting.

"Start in Heimdall."

"That'll take too long."

"I'll go." Kratos tucked his hands in his pockets, acknowledging the unsaid words that lay between them.

"The missing orbs. We still need to find those." Yuan turned his eyes downward, examining the dirt path. Two left to find. It was a race against time.

"Have you heard anything?"

"No."

"Have you heard from Presea?"

"No." The half elf glared at his friend. What did he care?

Kratos raised his eyebrows in response, the brown eyes analyzing his reaction.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Yuan glowered. He did not like the intimation in that 'nothing'. "And Raine? How was your trip _together_?"

Kratos' face darkened.

"Thought so." The half elf smirked as they reached the landing pad.

"I'll head to Heimdall now. No point in delaying." The angel responded, turning his gaze to look out at the sky. Finally the rain had passed; today there was not a cloud in the sky. Just an insufferable wind.

"Have fun with the stuffy elves."

"You're heading back to Sylvarant. I need you to do some digging."

"For what?" Yuan questioned as his friend glanced back at him. It wasn't the first time Kratos had asked a favor such as this one, but it had been a long time.

"I'll message you the details."

The blue-haired man squinted at him. "Your mysterious guise isn't as charming as you think it is."

"Oh?" Kratos said, a glint of amusement in his eye. "I could teach you. Then you wouldn't be so jealous."

"You think—"

"What are we talking about?" Raine interrupted as she joined the pair on the landing pad.

"Kratos is going to Heimdall to find out if the elves are going to help at all." Yuan sniffed. "But we all know their track record isn't so good."

"And where are you going?"

"Back to Sylvarant."

"Good. I am as well. The election is coming up and I can't miss any more Convention business." She said, tying her hair up into a bun.

"I shall say farewell then." Kratos said, running a hand through his hair. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuan watched as Raine stared for a second longer at the angel than necessary, and looked away.

Good goddess. What had happened on their trip? He'd get Kratos to tell him and one point or another.

"Don't do anything stupid." Yuan glowered and stuck out his hand.

Kratos nodded and shook it.

Pivoting, Yuan headed for his rheaird, giving the two privacy, though the busybody in him wanted to know what was going on.

As he strapped his bags onto the vehicle, the half elf felt a buzz in his pocket. Pulling it out, he half expected it to be a message from Kratos about what he wanted him to dig for. It wasn't. His chest tightened.

It was from Presea.

Hesitating, the angel opened the electronic letter, his eyes rushing to read every word.

 _I think my abilities with the scythes have greatly improved over the past few days. I plan to engage in the Coliseum battles to prepare for our battle with Ratatosk. It would be appreciated if you could see these matches and point out my weaknesses._

His heart thumped in his chest. She wanted him to watch her fight. She wanted him to visit her.

 _What about your coach?_

 _I have asked him to attend as well._

Yuan grimaced, but the next message came a second later.

 _But he does not have the wealth of experience you do._

A burst of pride exploded in the Seraphim, but he fought to keep his excitement — that was too strong of a word but he didn't know what else to use — in control.

 _Alright._

 _Where are you now? Exire?_

 _Yes. I'll be in Meltokio tonight._

 _Good. My first match is tomorrow afternoon._

He waited, seeing the indicator that she was still typing, adrenaline jolting through his veins.

 _Safe travels, Yuan._

Hesitating, his fingers tapped the keyboard.

 _See you tomorrow._

Pocketing the device, Yuan allowed a small smile to creep onto his lips. At least one good thing had come of today.


	17. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

The sun was setting as Lloyd dragged the last of the freshly chopped wood over to the shed at the back of his house. It had been a difficult task, taking up most of his day, but one he was happy to do. It kept his mind off of the things he couldn't do anything about at the moment, namely Ratatosk — whatever he was planning — and his dad's sickness (and a little bit about Kratos, Genis, and Colette, though he knew they could both take care of themselves). As the young man stacked the lumber, his hands scraping the hard bark of the trees, he felt the familiar wave of frustration roll over him. He was useless, unable to help his friends, who were all out there doing everything they could to stop the crazy Summon Spirit.

Immediately, a monsoon of guilt overwhelmed him. His Dad needed him more.

Placing the last log piece atop the carefully mounted pyramid, Lloyd shut the door to the shed harder than needed. Groaning, he felt his shoulders fall. The work had been grueling. He was definitely gonna be sore in the morning. At least it had been a good workout. These days, being at home, the young man didn't have anyone to spar with. He didn't want to get out of practice with his sword, so he woke up early (well...as early as he could muster), and practiced on a dummy he'd fashioned. But it wasn't the same as a partner who pushed him. A partner like Kratos.

He leaned on the door to the shed and took a deep breath. Where was his other father? Well, Lloyd knew where: Heimdall. It had been a week since he and Kratos went to Katz Island. That had been a fun trip, more fun that he thought. Visiting the Katz after finding the orb had been Lloyd's favorite part, especially since he got Kratos to eat more candy than he thought the older man would. There had been an unspoken competition of who ate the most. Lloyd hadn't even cared that his stomach hurt afterward; it had been worth it.

Would his mother have approved? Probably not. He imagined Anna would say that was too much sugar for either of them. From the corners of his mind, he pulled what fuzzy memories he had of her. Brown hair, a soft smile, and an eager embrace. His heart ached; he wished he'd known her more. Remembered more.

Mind wandering away from his birth parents, it picked a happier subject: Colette. Her beautiful smile and bright blue eyes came to mind; he imagined her twirling and laughing in the sun, as she often had when they were growing up in Iselia, long before the Journey. A smile turned the corners of his mouth upward. He was so lucky.

Memories of their last kiss flooded his mind, the softness and sweetness of her lips. When would he get to kiss her again? He wanted to hold her close, feel her near him. Lloyd always felt better when she was nearby, even if they weren't talking or anything.

Exhaling, the young man pushed off the door and headed towards the front of the house, tucking his hands into the pockets of his worn and torn jeans. The High Priestess was in Asgard now, visiting the local temples (she'd messaged him this morning to "comment" on the windy journey; she didn't like to complain, but he knew that was what she was doing and it was pretty cute). Not too far from hm, but not close enough for his liking. If she had been Mumbae, just 100 miles west of Hima, he would've visited her during the day. At the very least, he was happy they could communicate through their holocoms. Without that, he didn't know what he'd do.

"Lloyd?"

The young man turned around to see his father standing in the doorway, hunched over his cane, his once brown hair turned ashen gray. Lloyd frowned.

"Stop lookin' like you lost Noishe and come in and have supper."

The Dwarf whipped around and headed back towards the kitchen table.

As he came inside the home, Lloyd retorted "Hey. I've never lost Noishe. He just..."

"Comes and goes as he pleases. I know. I know." Dirk chuckled as he sat down at the small table. "Can't control him. Wouldn't want to anyways, though I do wonder how he always knows when to be 'round and where to be."

Sitting down at the table adjacent to his father, Lloyd grinned at the bowl of stew on the wooden tabletop in front of him. Casting a glance over at the dwarf, he saw that his bowl was bigger than his father's. "You need to eat more, Dad."

Dirk waved him off. "I'm fine."

"Dad..."

"I'll have some more in a bit. Just gotta let my stomach settle.

His son nodded. It would have to be enough. Leaning over the bowl, Lloyd sniffed and grinned. "This smells so good."

"It's an old recipe. My mother's."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Dug it up in some old books I got."

"Thanks, Dad."

Eagerly, the young man grabbed his spoon and dug in, quickly stuffing his mouth with the hearty mix of meat and vegetables.

"Why haven't you made this sooner?" Lloyd said, mouth half full.

"Lloyd, I've taught ya better. I don't want ta see yer food."

He swallowed and laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry."

Just as Lloyd was about to fill his mouth again with another gigantic spoonful, he caught sight of the Dwarf. Dirk's eyes were clouded, not looking at anything in particular. Slowly, Lloyd put the spoon back in the bowl.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"She was a no-nonsense woman, ya know? Mah mother that is. Always gave it ta me like it were. Not ta say she wasn't kind, but she was no-nonsense. Mah father, since he wasn't 'round too much, she was the one who raised me."

Dirk turned his face towards Lloyd, his expression one of fatigue. A fatigue that Lloyd had seen growing each and every morning without pause.

"I always thought if I had a young'un, I'd do exactly what my mama did fer me. And that's what I tried to do fer you." The older dwarf gave his son a weak smile. "Not sure I always succeeded, but did mah best."

"Dad—"

"I hope I set a good example fer you to raise yer kids by."

"I don't think I'm gonna be raising any kids soon." Lloyd laughed nervously. He and Colette hadn't even...

The young man blushed.

"Maybe not soon. But one day. I'm just sorry I ain't gonna be 'round to see them."

Lloyd stiffened. "No way. You'll teach them the Dwarven Vows and everything!"

But even he could hear the desperate plea in his own words.

"Lloyd, let's not pertend. I'm dyin'. And I don't got much time left."

"Don't say that!"

"Remember Dwarven Vow 108: let sleeping dogs lie." The Dwarf clasped his hands together on the table. "I'm just tryin' ta get all my affairs in order before I go."

"I don't get it. One day you were fine. The next..." Lloyd trailed off, looking away. "It's not fair."

"Just old age, son. Can't stop it from happening." He shook his head. "I need ya ta do somethin' fer me, son."

"Anything." Lloyd's head shot up, eyes glassy. He didn't want to hear about this. He didn't want to think about his father being gone. But if he could do one last thing...

"When I die, I want ya ta take mah body to that Altessa ya mentioned."

Lloyd blinked the tears to the corners of his eyes and asked, "Why?"

"He knows our Dwarven Rituals. I wanna be buried properly."

That made sense, but the words felt distant.

Rituals. Burial.

It was too much.

"Okay."

"Good. Now eat up 'fore it gets cold."

His head felt heavy as he nodded, the lump in his throat growing larger with each second. He didn't know what else to say. Lloyd wanted to say something. Anything.

But it was as his Dad said.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

* * *

Glancing at the cuckoo clock on the wall, Genis groaned. It was half past ten. Raine had told him that she'd call once she landed in Hima. He knew the flight from Exire would take at least six hours — maybe seven depending how slow she was going, which he could most definitely bet she was as she was a super cautious flyer — but it had been seven hours, so she should've landed already.

He'd spent the past three hours anxiously awaiting his demise, valiantly attempting to focus on his homework, all the while going over worst-case scenarios once he told her about his adventure to Eventide Isle. She was gonna be so mad. Goddess, he just wanted to rip off the bandaid and be done with the whole thing. He knew it was gonna suck telling her; waiting made it even worse.

Pacing around the room, Genis muttered, cursing himself primarily. Why had he sent her message asking her to talk in the first place? Why had he decided to tell her at all? 'Cause he promised Colette. Maybe. No, that wasn't it. Well, it sorta was. He wasn't about to go back on a promise he'd given to his friend. However, he didn't like to keep secrets from Raine, though he was sure she kept them from her (which was not fair at all by the way, but that wasn't an argument he wanted to have right now 'cause she'd just say she was older and was protecting him and when he told her about his adventure he didn't want to add insult to injury and make everything ten times worse).

Finally, the teenager plopped down onto the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands, silver locks of hair falling forward to shield him from invisible onlookers. The worst, worst, worst-case scenario was that she'd probably disown him and never speak to him again. That wouldn't be so bad. He could do whatever he wanted all the time, right?

Groaning, he shook his head from side to side. Who was he kidding? That would be terrible. Yeah, she could be annoying sometimes — she was wayyy too protective and hugged him too much in public — but Raine was the only one who really knew him. She had taken care of him and protected him since he was a baby. She was his big sister. What would he do without her?

He had no idea.

The holocom buzzed on his nightstand, demanding his attention. Slowly, he removed his hands from his face and stared at it.

Genis gulped.

It buzzed again.

He had to answer it.

Hesitating, the half elf tapped the screen and accepted the call.

An image of his sister popped up in the air above the blue device: a perfect likeness of her half elven form. No matter how many times he used the holocom video, Genis was awed by it. The technology was super cool. Not that he'd ever tell Yuan; the angel had an ego the size of Derris-Kharlan and it didn't need any more preening. And if he said anything, he'd never hear the end of it.

"It's nice to hear from you, Genis." Raine said with a relieved smile. "I'm sorry it's so late. I'm sure you'd rather be sleeping. We can talk tomorrow if that's better."

"Don't worry about it. I'll try to keep this short. I bet you're tired after your trip." Genis responded, heart racing.

"A little. But not too tired for my brother."

"You won't think so in a sec."

"Why? What's going on?" Her face morphed into one of concern.

 _Here we go._

Adrenaline exploded inside him and his fingers trembled. The half elf opened his mouth to say the words, but none came.

"Genis? Are you okay?"

It was now or never.

"I have to tell you something." He blurted, looking away from Raine, studying the purple carpet of his dorm room.

"I'm listening."

"You know how Colette went to Eventide Isle to look for the orb?"

"She didn't go alone, did she?" Raine said. Surprised, Genis looked back at her to see an unamused expression on her face. "I thought as much. I'm not happy, Genis. You ignored me and what I told you to do." She sighed, pulling out her bun and letting her hair fall to her shoulders. "I'm just glad you didn't go by yourself."

"Well...I kinda did."

"What?"

"I went to Eventide by myself to look for the orb. And then some stuff happened and then Colette came and got me out." He rushed, the words escaping his mouth like wildfire. Maybe she wouldn't ask any questions and take that explanation for what it was.

"Clarify 'some stuff happened'." Her voice was cold and flat.

So much for wishful thinking.

Swallowing, he continued, "I found where the orb was supposed to be in this cavern, but it wasn't there, and I kinda got myself stuck in the cavern. As in...couldn't get myself out."

The woman paused, then crossed her arms over her chest. "And Colette rescued you."

"Yeah..."

"I assume you sent her a message about where you were?"

"No. I couldn't get any signal out."

"So you're telling me that no one knew where you were. And you were trapped."

"Colette came to visit me at school, and someone told her I was gone. That's how she figured out where I was."

"And what would've happened if she hadn't come to find you?" Raine asked, her eyes piercing, even through the virtual communication.

"I would have probably died." Genis' heart slammed against his chest. His voice trembled.

"And you did this because...?"

"I wanted to help." Genis squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his cheeks warm with shame. "And I wanted to show you I could take care of myself."

Silence.

He waited for her to rebuke him, shout at him, scold him in any shape or form.

No sounds reached his ears.

Opening his eyes, the teenager saw Raine watching him, her face stony. Eyes glued to her, he looked for a sign, anything to show what she was thinking. But he found none.

"Sis, I'm really sorry. Please say something."

"I don't have anything to say to you at the moment."

"Raine—"

"I will speak with you later this week."

Click.

Her image disappeared. The bright light of the holocom dimmed.

She was gone.

Silently, the half elf fell back onto his bed, his throat closing in and his breathing ragged. That had never happened before. When she was angry or upset with him (or he with her), they always talked it out (usually with some arguing, sometimes shouting on his part, but they'd always reached some sort of resolution). But this time, Raine had hung up. No reprimand, no grounding, nothing.

His sister was angry with him. Angrier than she had ever been with him. This was a whole different level. And he had no idea how to fix it.

He'd apologized, but it hadn't been enough.

Vision blurry, Genis felt his gut churn.

It terrified him. What if she no longer wanted anything to do with him? What if she was going to walk away from him as he'd predicted?

Tears trickled out of the corners of his eyes. Goddess, he hoped she would forgive him.

All he could do was wait and see.

* * *

The banging hadn't stopped, not for what seemed seconds, minutes, hours (these were things he had come to remember). Over and over again, the clang of each slam reverberated through the door, attempting to break down the barrier: mental, spiritual, emotional, whatever it was. Or they were all one and the same now. That's what it felt like, appeared to be. The onslaught continued with no seeming end.

But the screams were worse.

The howls pierced everything in him, ugly and menacing. They clawed at the him, raking his ears, threatening to drive a hole right through him. He could feel the rage in each guttural sound, the fire in the highest tones, the bloodlust in the roars.

He crouched, huddled, shivered, moved himself into whatever protective position he could. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, eyes peeking over the length of his arm to stare at the door. A bang: he winced. A yell: he cringed. Fear threatened to consume him, bury him. He wanted to run, but where? He was in the safest place he could be; a box inside...wherever he was. And the monster could not get in.

A shrieking boom: he flinched again. Trembled. What if he opened the doors? Gave in? What if he listened to the voice and disappeared? Became...nothingness?

If he could just remember...remember why he did not want to leave...

Cautiously, he reached out and grasped the warm memory, the one thing he knew was real in this hell. Whenever it was — days ago? — he found he could feel pink, the purple, the black. These were "colors". The word had no meaning; but they represented the beautiful warmth that grew within him every time he reached out.

He hugged it to him, blocking out the thunder barreling down on the barrier behind him.

So warm, so kind.

 _Zelos..._

Shocked, he almost let it slip away, back to where it came from. But he grabbed at it and pulled it back again, frantic, clutching it to him, the warmth and the colors. It was all he had: the warmth, the colors, and now this...whisper. This melodious whisper that sounded like heaven.

What was that word? "Zelos". He knew it. He struggled. He pushed. He tried to identify it, shoved against the blackness. No answer came. A strike of red rushed through him: what was it?!

Silence.

The beating had stopped. Finished for now. He could feel it retreat, leave him be, the anger receding through the darkness outside.

He breathed and listened again.

 _Zelos..._


	18. Keeper of the Faith

Colette was not happy. She was...well, she didn't really want to use the word mad, but the feeling was so strong, so...intense, she would be lying to herself if she described it any other way (and she didn't like lying to herself). It was rare for her to be dissatisfied, or disappointed with anyone (she just wanted everyone to get along); even rarer to be angry. And the young woman was not handling it well (she'd waited ten minutes before replying to Lloyd's message and almost ignored a call from her father that morning). Which meant she was definitely mad.

Rummaging through her bag, the High Priestess snatched her finest gown and tossed it onto the bed, unconcerned it might wrinkle. The last thing she wanted to do was visit the Church in Asgard, but it was her duty. If she had a choice, she'd do it tomorrow, when she felt better and not so...upset.

A storm of guilt crashed down on her and she sighed, zipping up her luggage. It wasn't fair to the people of the town that were eager to see her. She could picture their smiling faces upon her arrival. Little Timmy whom she visited last time; he had been sick with the flu and she'd sat with him for an hour. And Regina, a half elven mother in town, thankful for Colette's ear and promise of protection. These people depended on her and she couldn't allow her personal feelings about something completely unrelated get in the way. She needed to put her best foot forward and provide them with her full attention.

That didn't change that in this particular moment, she wanted to fly to Iselia and hide in Lloyd's room, away from everyone. Because the truth was, she wasn't really mad, she was hurt.

Stripping out of her bed clothes, Colette tugged the gown over her head, feeling the fabric fall down her sides and land at the floor. As she watched herself in the full length, mirror tying the ribbon at her waist, her thoughts were consumed by the conversation she'd had with Seles only minutes earlier. Tears dotted her eyes and Colette sniffed them away as Seles' hurtful words echoing in her ears.

She knew that her Sister hadn't meant them to be. But they were all the same.

After a week of short message exchanges, in which more than once Colette attempted to engage the other High Priestess in a call (it became clear to the ex-Chosen that her friend was avoiding her, which had disappointed her), they were finally speaking.

Faint sunlight filtered through the cracks between the curtains as Colette finished making her bed. On top of her nightstand the holocom buzzed and she clicked the button. Taking a seat cross-legged on the bouncy mattress, still dressed in her pajamas, the young woman put the holocom a few inches away from her on the bedspread.

Seles' image appeared in the air above the holocom. She was dressed in her usual regalia of a sleeveless light green dress and white, wide-brimmed hat. Though the image was grainy (Asgard didn't have the best reception), Colette could still see the frown the half elf wore, and the tight clasping of her hands in front of her.

"Colette." Seles said stiffly, shifting back and forth on her feet before settling into a spot.

"Hi Seles."

"Sorry it's taken a while to connect. Things have been really busy, as you know."

"I understand." Colette nodded, combing her trembling fingers through her long hair. Though they were on opposite sides of the globe, the young woman could still feel the tension between them. Desperately, she wanted it to go away.

"Look, Colette, I owe you an explanation."

Hesitating, the blonde replied, "Yes, I think you do."

"I just think the time for this to happen is now, a push for half elven equality. Sylvarant just passed a Half Elf Equality Act. Why not Tethe'alla?"

"Seles, you don't need to convince me."

"I know, I know. But I need to make this as public as possible."

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me before." The High Priestess looked down at her palms, her voice just above a whisper. A lump grew slowly in her throat and she felt her heart flutter, waiting for the answer.

"Because I was afraid you'd stop me."

Colette's eyes widened in shock. Had she heard correctly?

"Why? Why would you think that?" The blonde asked, looking up at the hologram, her voice trembling.

"I...I don't know." The half elf's shoulders slumped and her hands fell to her sides.

"Do you not...trust me?"

"That's not it at all!"

Silence fell between the two as they watched each other, both unsure of to say.

Clearing her throat, the ex-Chosen said as calm as she could manage, "Seles. Martel named us both the Keepers of the Faith. She told us to work side by side, together on everything. You know I would support you in whatever you do, as long as it doesn't harm others."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because..." Seles shut her eyes, face scrunching in pain. "Because you don't understand. You haven't lived as a half elf. You haven't been ostracized your entire life. This isn't your fight."

Colette's heart skipped a beat. Her body tensed, wishing to crumple in on itself. Warmth grew behind her eyes and the lump in her throat threatened to block all words.

She didn't understand. She couldn't understand. She wouldn't understand.

"I'm sorry, Colette. I was afraid that with your involvement, all they would see is the former Chosen arguing for half elven equality. They wouldn't see the real issue. But I was wrong." The half elf's voice cut through her thoughts.

It didn't matter though; the damage had been done. The young woman felt the tears push at the corners of her eyes and the emotion well up in her chest, threatening to break out. The pressure was too much.

"Colette? I'm so sorry." The plea in her Sister's voice tugged at her breaking heart. She had to stop the conversation, otherwise she would break.

"It's okay, Seles. I understand."

"That doesn't mean it's alright."

"I need to go. The Parish is expecting me." Colette forced a smile. "We'll talk soon."

She could taste the lie in those words. Shaking her head, the High Priestess smoothed out her dress and left her room, heading towards her engagement. At the very least, she would bring the Goddess' Light to others, even if she didn't feel it herself this day.

Hours later, Colette and two of the High Guard in tow (Cassandra and Ava), headed out of Asgard on horseback (which she enjoyed very much; spending time with horses was calming, not to mention fun, and it made her feel much better after an equally enjoyable visit to the Asgard Church). Since Seles' movement began to grow, also causing opposition to grow, Church officials had insisted on instituting a protection unit for each of the High Priestesses. After her brief excursion to Palmacosta — and Eventide Isle — Colette had traveled to Asgard with them (she'd had to leave her rehaird behind with Genis). They seemed nice.

Her next stop on her tour (her fourth to last one) was a House of Salvation just south of Hakonesia Peak. She was backtracking a bit as she had just been in Palmacosta, but it she was excited. Brother Pizelle who ran the institution was a kind, elderly man who gave her sweets every time she visited. He reminded her of her late grandfather.

The trio arrived at the Peak mid-afternoon. The sun was shining high in the sky, making them sweat as they rode through the pass. As they reached the end and marched through the southern gate, a wave of memories swept through Colette. How long had it been since she had come this way? The last time had been on the Journey, at the very beginning, before she had known about Tethe'alla, elves, Cruxis, or anything.

How things had changed.

Ushering her horse down the path, Colette rode several feet before catching sight of a small hut just off of the main road. Pulling on the reins, she gasped. Koton, the antique and artifact collector, lived there.

He was pretty much a hoarder. What were the chances that he had one of the orbs?

She trotted towards the cottage and slipped off the horse's back, handing the reins to Cassandra, who had ridden alongside her.

"High Priestess?" The blue-eyed woman gave her a quizzical look.

Smiling, Colette shook her head. "Don't worry. I've met the man who lives here before."

"Still. Be cautious." Ava dismounted from her horse, her voice serious and brow knit harshly together.

The blonde nodded and they walked towards the cottage.

Gently, she knocked.

"Come in!"

Colette and Ava exchanged a look. The guard shrugged. Smiling and nodding, the young woman went inside and Ava followed. The door clanged shut behind them and the High Priestess swept her eyes around the small home. Items were left and right, perched on top of each other, thrown into piles, littering the floor: it was complete chaos, exactly as Colette remembered.

"Who's there?' A grouchy voice called from the far corner, somewhere behind boxes and statues and busts of old rulers.

"Hi, there." Colette stammered. "I've heard you sell rare items?"

"You've come to the right place!"

A minute passed and finally the old man emerged from the clutter. White tufts of hair sprouted on either side of his shiny, bald head. He was hunched over his cane wearing a white collared shirt, green tweed vest and brown pants. Upon seeing her and Ava, his expression morphed into one of intense concentration.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Um...no?"

Shrugging, he waved towards his massive collection. "What have you come to see?"

Pulling her holocom out of her pocket, Colette flicked to the picture of the orb Presea had shared. "I was wondering if you had something like this."

He squinted at the picture, taking it in. Her stomach flip-flopped as she waited. If he had one of the missing orbs, that would be so wonderful and a huge relief. It had been days since they realized that two orbs were missing and still they had no idea where to look. It would be a gift from Martel if Koton was in possession of one of them.

Standing up straight, he adjusted his glasses. "Ooh yes, I recognize it."

Her heart leapt and she gasped.

"But it's not for sale."

Shocked, she sputtered, "Why? I'd be happy to pay for it!"

"Because it's a priceless artifact."

"Do you know what it is?"

Maybe at the very least she could find out what it was and tell the others. That would be useful.

Koton shifted from side to side.

"Not exactly."

"Then why won't you sell it to me if you don't know what it is? That doesn't make sense." Colette twitched her nose. Somehow, she would get the man to sell the orb to her.

The shrewd man narrowed his eyes. "Well, it's clearly a desired artifact! You're not the first person to come asking for it."

The young woman froze. Someone else wanted it. That could only mean...

"Who else did?"

"Some fellow with red hair came in early this morning. Had these weird black tattoos all over his arms."

A shiver ran up her spine. That was definitely Zelos. No, it was Ratatosk. She had to remember that. Zelos didn't want any of this to happen. It was all Ratatosk.

"Please. I'll pay whatever you want. I'm the High Priestess of Sylvarant." Colette implored. It was too important to let it go. She had to get the orb before Ratatosk came back for it.

"That's where I know you from! You came by to read my book years ago. I never forget a cute face." He winked at her; she grimaced inwardly.

"Sir, please. I'd like to buy it from you."

"4,050,000 Gald."

Colette's eyes widened. "Um...don't you think that's a bit expensive?"

"I'm sure the Church has that kind of money." Koton grinned. "You did say you'd pay me whatever I wanted."

"Mr. Koton..."

"Fine. For you I'll leave it at 2,000,000. Not a penny less."

Sighing, she nodded. "Alright. I will get the money shortly."

The High Priestess headed to the door, mind spinning. This was an impossible task.

"By the way, the other fellow said he'd have the money to me in two days." Koton called to her. "First come, first serve."

 _Oh dear._

Heading out of the cabin into the cold day, she glanced at Ava, then pulled out her holocom, heart racing. She had two days to come up with the money. Actually, one and a half. The young woman wanted to text Lloyd and tell him about what had happened, but it would only upset him that he couldn't come to her and help figure out how to get the money.

How in the world was she supposed to get 2000000 Gald?

So she said a prayer to the Goddess, asking for her Light.

* * *

Sorry guys, this chapter was a bit of a struggle for me. My brain just wanted to move on to the next part lol.


	19. The Palace of Violence

A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry it's been a while. I actually had half of this chapter written in August, but with moving and starting school, I haven't had much time to write for this fic (I have been doing a TON of writing otherwise). But I'm going to attempt to be more regular. If that doesn't happen, December isn't too far away lol and I'll be done with finals then. Anyway, hope you enjoy~

* * *

"You're leaving your right side completely open!" Yuan called.

Presea grunted as she followed the warning and leapt to the right, barely avoiding the downward swipe from Kendrick's sword aimed at her shoulder. Skidding in the dirt, she stabbed at his ribs, the flash of her scythes moving faster than the eye could travel. Spinning clockwise, Kendrick blocked the woman's attack at the last second, smashing their weapons together. He grinned at her as they pushed against each other, but she did not return it. The curved scythes interlocked as they pressed against the blade of the sword. Her focus was on the battle, her form, her technique. There was no room for distraction.

"If you can't push back, roll away!"

Rolling his eyes, Kendrick whispered, "He just doesn't quit, does he?"

Growling, the young woman continued pressing against her opponent, mind racing. What was Yuan saying? It didn't make sense. How could she roll away? Letting go, even for a millisecond, would leave her torso exposed.

Her eyes narrowed, studying the position of the weapons. She twisted to the right but Kendrick followed her, refusing to break the contact. Rolling away would be futile. Returning to the center, the woman watched as the blades of her scythes scraped each other as they fought against the weight of the sword's blade. An idea came to her; if she could just separate her weapons for a brief second... Clenching her jaw, Presea slid backward, using the tiny second and space between them to lock her scythes around his sword. Kendrick narrowed his eyes, and intensified the pressure against her. Her knees began to bend. She knit her brow together in concentration; there was only one chance. If she weren't fast enough, Kendrick would have the opportunity to ground her. Yielding, she leaned back...

...and yanked her scythes upward, inches above her face.

"What the—"

The sword flew out of his hand and soared through the air, plunging downward and sticking into sandy ground a few feet away.

Inwardly, she smiled as she stood. The angle had been optimal, and leveraging her tilted position had made the maneuver possible. It was adequate improvisation on her part, which meant she was getting comfortable moving outside the standard technique. That would be necessary in her upcoming battles.

"Good one. Didn't see that coming." Kendrick laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "I'd like to see you do that again. Except not on me. Maybe Tiny Tim in your next Coliseum match. That would be hilarious."

"It was an easy tactic considering the way our weapons were locked." Presea responded, wiping the sweat off the back of her neck, careful not to cut herself with her scythe. Though the sun had just set and the moon was slowly rising, the heat had not abated. It felt as muggy as a summer day in Ozette. And with all of the exercise, the young woman began to feel sluggish.

And considering her plans for that evening, she needed to preserve her strength.

They had been sparring for the better part of an hour and a half. Yuan was relentless in her training, especially after watching two of her Colesium matches the previous day. But she had no one to blame but herself for his doggedness. After all, the young woman had asked him to come and evaluate her fighting. It had been a wise choice. Despite his constant barking, she could already feel herself improving.

There was the added benefit that she sparred with Kendrick. Since his appointment as Seles' bodyguard, they had had less time for practicing to her disappointment. But the High Priestess had decided to stay at home this evening — which pleased Presea — so Kendrick had joined her for a training session (it was much better to train with a person than spar with a dummy; Yuan was insistent on watching her technique, and so did not spar with her himself).

"I think you gave me a burn though, yanking it out of my grip." Kendrick looked down at his reddened hands.

"They'll heal."

"Thanks for the concern." He smirked, his lips curling in a way that made her feel...giddy (what an odd word).

The sounds of footsteps caught her ears before she could respond. Presea looked up to see the blue-haired half elf stomping across the sparring arena towards the pair.

"Get out of the way." Yuan commanded, unsheathing his sword.

"Wha—" Kendrick began.

The angel lunged at Presea, his double-edged sword high in the sky, calling to fight. Shocked, Presea backflipped, landing in a crouch, eyes narrowed, easily avoiding the attack.

"Your opponent isn't going to wait for you to be ready." Yuan reprimanded, as if he'd read her mind.

Frowning, Presea rushed at him, scythes down at her sides, ready for an offensive attack. The half elf hunched, his face grim.

"Facing your attacker head on will not work with these weapons." He warned. "LIGHTNING!"

So be it.

Zig-zagging as she went, Presea deftly avoided his magic spells. She jumped, twirling in the air, with a shout: "REAPER!"

A blast of energy burst from the slice of her scythe, heading straight for Yuan. Gritting his teeth, he shielded against it as Presea rounded his side. He whipped around, expecting to clang his blade against her weapons, but she ducked and slid, kicking at his ankles, knocking him off his feet.

She lunged, ready to bring her scythe down on his chest, but he was faster: the sword banged against the sickle.

"Almost. But not quite fast enough."

And then he was up, and she was flying backward.

It was a dance they did: he put on an offensive of magic attacks, and she did her best to get around them and find his weak point. But he soon anticipated her moves, stopping her at each turn.

Grunting, she paused, crouched in position, breathing hard from her last failed assault.

"There's no time for a breather!" Yuan yelled and flung a bolt of lightening at her.

She leapt away but not fast enough. Her left shoulder screamed in pain and she clutched it.

"You've got to keep up!"

But her strength was ebbing away. Her moves were slower, her muscles aching as she pushed herself to dodge his continuous magic attacks. A bolt shocked the ground in front of her and she stumbled. The angel ran straight for her, slamming her back into the wall. He brought the sword to her neck, pressing his body into hers, his face inches from hers.

"You are making rudimentary mistakes. Think."

"I'm still learning."

"No. You're not thinking."

They stared at one another, silent. She refused to back down, awaiting for more of his commands. But none came. He simply stared, those icy blue eyes boring holes into her brown ones. A shade of something passed through his gaze, something emotional, the opposite of rage and anger. It startled her, making her want to drop her weapon. But it disappeared, replaced with the same frustrated glare that he wore at almost all times. Finally, Yuan stepped away and sheathed his sword. He turned and headed towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Presea asked. There was a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"I have some things to take care of. I'll be at your fight tomorrow." Yuan called over his shoulder.

"Fine."

Then he stomped out of the sparring grounds, disappearing into the Coliseum. She turned back towards Kendrick, sheathing her scythes, feeling the wave of irritation wash over her.

"Jeez, he's got a stick up his butt." The young man tossed her a canteen. She caught it and guzzled.

"He is helping me sharpen my skills." She said between drinks.

"I dunno, he's being a jerk."

"Undoubtedly."

Kendrick grinned and she felt a familiar warmth bloom inside her chest.

"For what it's worth, I think you were doing a great job." He said, picking up his pack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Watching the way you were moving, it was...I'm fairly sure you're gonna surpass me in no time."

"Perhaps." She handed him the canteen and he took it from her, his fingers lightly brushing over hers. A tremor ran up her spine, but she did her best to disguise it.

"Give me a little credit."

"You are a fine fighter, Kendrick. Do not doubt that."

"I think that's the first compliment you've given me." He feigned surprise and she smiled.

"It is also the truth."

"I'll take it." Kendrick paused. "Do you want to go again? Now that he's not shouting at you?"

Presea shook her head. If she were going to venture out this evening, she had to regain her energy. "Perhaps tomorrow. I need to rest now."

"True. Especially if you're going to take on Willie Glazer in the morning. He's got a mean right hook with his tomahawk."

"I'll watch for it." The young woman responded as she collected her things. The fight against Willie Glazer would be a real test for her, both a technical and mental one. She would not be the one yielding the axe in this battle. Her heart ached; she did miss her battle axe.

"Let me walk you back." Kendrick said, bringing Presea back to the present.

"That's not necessary."

"You don't want me to know where you live?"

She said nothing.

"You are really a mysterious one, aren't you?"

"Kendrick—"

"Don't apologize. I'm not pushy. I'll just show you that you can trust me over time." Kendrick leaned forward a little. "I will steal one thing tonight."

"What?"

He paused, his eyes searching hers. But for what, she did not know. It felt too close though. And yet not close enough.

"A kiss."

Her breath hitched in her throat.

Had she heard him correctly? A kiss? She was not prepared for such a thing.

As he leaned towards her, he whispered, "I'm not actually going to steal it. I don't agree with that sort of thing. But I'd like to kiss you, if you'd let me."

Heart pounding, she slowly nodded.

Closing her eyes, Presea tilted her face upward and his lips met hers. She felt the slight pressure of his mouth against hers. He was not rough, nor overly eager. Gentle, kind, protective even. But as he kissed her again, she could feel his desire as his lips roamed hers, pulling them slowly into kiss after kiss. Finally, he broke away. Her eyelids fluttered open, gazing into his brown eyes. Kendrick smiled at her.

"Goodnight, Presea."

As the young man walked away into the night, she touched her lips, still feeling the impression of his on hers. A kiss. Her first kiss. It was more than she'd imagined, having not imagined very much. She'd enjoyed it — there was no doubt of that — and she wanted it to be a repeat experience.

With him specifically.

Returning to her room, the young woman showered, scrubbing away the layers of sweat and dirt that caked her skin. There was something satisfying about the need for such a deep clean; she had put in a great deal of work into the sparring session that afternoon. And she deserved a nap.

Climbing into her bed, she set her alarm for two hours. Three hours would probably have been alright, but Presea didn't want to miss her opportunity. After inputting the time, the young woman closed her eyes. It took only moments for her to drift out of consciousness, her last thoughts of the taste of Kendrick's lips.

* * *

Two hours came and went. Only minutes after waking, Presea was up, busying herself for where she was about to go, nerves jolting through her veins. Tonight, she would finally follow Ms. Nevada's intelligence. After one night in the Parlour Room thanks to Regal's connections — she hadn't known discomfort such as that in her all her memory and was relieved to not have to return — the young woman had discovered the location of the place Ms. Nevada had told her about that existed in the deep recesses of Front Hook. The place where the orb was kept.

Place wasn't the correct word. The event occurred in a specific place, but the owners of the event were the keepers of the artifact. And it was a prize to be won.

Dressed in the typical Mizuho fashion (she'd asked Sheena for advice regarding lightweight fighting garb and the ninja was all too happy to dress her), Presea moved through the back alleys towards a dingy warehouse shoved between a dive bar and another brothel. This brothel one was not high end like the Parlour Room. A simple look at its blackened stoop, drunken patrons haunting the doorway waiting to cop a feel of an unsuspecting lady of the night, told the pink-haired woman she did not want anything to do with the establishment. Instead, a shade of sadness overcame her; what it must be like for the girls and boys that worked there, night after night.

Not that the nobles of The Parlour Room were any better. Just the one evening of work had shown her the lecherous side of humanity. She had seen a few act lasciviously, though most were courteous to the courtesans.

Presea expected Regal was no different. Her semi-brother-in-law was no doubt lonely, and looking for solace years after Alicia's death. She didn't blame him. Everyone felt the need for human connection. Even she did, with her slowly growing knowledge of what humanity was.

Perhaps Kendrick would provide her with such connection.

Knocking on the metal door of the building next to the brothel, Presea watched as a pair of eyes appeared through the tiny grate.

"What are ya wantin' 'bout?"

"I'm here for the fight."

"Youuu? Girlie you came to the wrong place." The voice sneered, giving her the up and down.

Presea narrowed her eyes. "Is this not the Gridiron Gate?"

"'Tis."

"Then I am in the correct place. I want to fight."

Silence greeted her declaration. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited. She would not leave until admitted.

"What's the password then?"

"Apoptosis."

"Ya got the gald? It's 200 fer register-ation."

She nodded, clutching the coin purse in her pocket.

"Well...come on in."

The door swung open, a burst of noise filling her ears. Straightening her shoulders, she headed inside. It was time to see what this Gridiron Gate was all about.

"Who are ya?"

Turning to her right, she saw a tall, muscled man wearing an eye patch with a grizzled beard and a bandaged left arm. She surmised he'd been through many fights.

Most likely here.

"Zendaya Stormcloud." Presea said, dropping a few coins into his outstretched palm.

"You're here to fight?" He asked again, as if he hadn't heard her the first time, scribbling her name in a notebook. His handwriting was lacking.

"Yes."

"Alright. You're starting in the lowest rung." He stamped her hand. "No bullshit coliseum rules here. You fight 'till you go down bleedin'. Don't expect anyone ta stawp if ya say 'yield' or some wussy shit like that."

She nodded. This was serious.

"I'll take you to the Master."

Lumbering, he headed down the dark corridor towards bright light. Presea followed, her eyes adjusting to the small amount of light cast across the corridor from the torches on the walls. After turning a few more corners, they arrived in a large room. A cacophony of screams filled the air as she walked in. In the center was a raised platform surrounded by a netted fence. In the center were two opponents, each covered with their fair share of cuts and bruises. Around the pit, the crowd shouted and shrieked in support.

The fury cast a wave of unease through Presea. Flashbacks of her time with the Erinyes ran through her brain: the shouting, the calls for violence, the intensity of the hatred they felt for half elves. She pushed the memories. That was an experience best forgotten, and those recollections would not serve her now.

That didn't mean they didn't still yet disturb her.

The crowd roared as one man slammed the other down into the canvas floor of the ring. The man on the floor writhed in pain, clutching his shoulder. The other, dressed in a black mask and black leather pants, stood over him, straddling the injured human. A grin spread across his face, hungry for the end to soon come. With decoration, he pulled a dagger from his belt and held it high. The man on the floor fumbled, trying to reach for his own weapon. But it was too late.

The dagger plunged downward.

Silence.

Then uproar. The winner yelled at the top of his lungs, pounding his chest, the blood from his victim dripping down his face and skin. He ran around the rink, high-fiveing the mob, stealing a kiss from a few of the ladies, claiming his victory in the best way he knew how.

But Presea's eyes shifted from the champion to the loser. He did not move in the pool of blood that grew around him, dark red, staining the white canvas beneath it.

"Is he dead?" She asked, watching the referree drag the body off the platform.

"I dunno. Could be." Her guide shrugged. "Come on."

They weaved through the crowd, the large man bumping into several onlookers indifferent to their annoyed glances. As they reached the outer edges, they came to a long set of stairs that spiraled around the arena. Presea and the man ascended, their footsteps drowned out by the shouting of the crowd demanding for more.

As they reached the top, two women came into view, one sitting on what looked to be an ivory throne, while the other stood behind, clad in silver armor, her face grim. Her companion stepped forward, gesturing Presea to do the same. He took a knee and she followed his example, her pink braid swinging over her right shoulder.

"Who is this?" The woman on the throne asked, her eyes passing to Presea and fixating on her. The gaze was scrutinizing, but Presea felt no unease.

"Zendaya Stormcloud. She wants to fight."

"Really?" She tilted her head to the side. "Not that I don't believe you. We just don't have many women in the Gridiron Gate."

Presea met her gaze, unblinking. The woman had navy blue hair, and purple eyes. She was pale, like her throne, and had an angular face. No doubt she had Elvish blood in her, though she seemed to have ethereal quality to her likeness as well. And it felt familiar, though Presea couldn't quite place it.

"How did you find us?"

"I know people."

The woman smirked. "You know when to keep your mouth shut. I like that." She swiveled her eyes towards the big man. "She can fight."

"Thank you." Presea said.

The woman gave a slight nod. "I expect you'll give me quite a show."

The lumbering man headed back down the stairs, waving at Presea to follow him. As they reached the bottom, the man grabbed her arm and pulled her through the mass of people to the front. The referee stood in the center, calling to the crowd with a gleeful smile as two men lined up, one brown-haired, one red-haired, ready to fight.

"You're next."

Presea looked up at him, but his gaze was focused on the arena. She was about to ask who her opponent would be, but the bell rang. The battle began. The brown-haired man lunged at the red-haired man, pinning him to the ground. A barrel of punches to the face, and soon the brown-haired man was covered in blood. The referee ran, pulling the attacker off his victim. The red-haired man twitched, but did not rise. Soon, his body froze. He was dead.

It had been no contest. This was violence unchecked. What had she gotten into?

Her heart pounded and her throat felt dry. Clenching her fists, she watched as the blood was mopped up and the body removed.

"Ready?" Her companion shouted over the noise.

She nodded. There was no chance to back out now.

It was time.

With grace, Presea pulled herself through the rubber fence and into the ring. Suddenly, the crowd fell silent. Her eyes swept the sea of bodies: shock, awe, concern, annoyance all mixed together. But they didn't matter. All that did was staying alive.

The referee b-lined for her. He leaned into her face; she could smell garlic on his breath and wrinkled her nose. "What's your name, girl?"

"Zendaya Stormcloud."

"You better be ready for this."

She narrowed her eyes. "I am."

"Are we fighting we weapons, or bare-handed?"

"Weapons."

She pulled out her scythes. An "ooo" was heard from the crowd.

The Referee eyed the curves of the blades. "Nice touch. Hope you know how to use them." Before she could retort, he was striding to the center of the arena. He stopped and opened his arms to the crowd, a regular performer. "Arpit Moore!" he pointed to the man in the opposite corner. "You all saw his harrowing defeat last week in Round 3. Now he's back to climb the ladder once again." The man, Arpit, flung his arms into the air, waving his sword around in what one could only explain as flagrant and brash. He must've been compensating for something.

But there was something more important here: he hadn't died in Round 3. Maybe that was only for Rounds 4 and up. A flutter of hope lifted her heart. Perhaps there would be no death this evening.

"We have a new challenger tonight!" The Referee pointed at her. "Zendaya Stormcloud! A mysterious newcomer to our palace of violence. Place your bets, my friends." He stood to the side. "On my mark!"

Presea crouched, crossing her scythes in front of her face.

"3."

Adrenaline spurt through her body.

"2."

Her breath hitched in her throat.

"1."

She clenched her hands around the handles of her weapons.

"FIGHT!"

Presea raced across the arena and slashed at him. He dodged, using his longsword to block the attack. She pressed forward, showering him with swipes left and right. But he continued to evade her offensive moves, the silver of his sword frustrating her at every turn.

"It's gonna take more than that to get to me." Arpit sneered.

He span around her, landing a kick on her right hip. She fell, managing to roll out of the way of a downward slash aimed at her shoulder. Of course she had left her right side open. Yuan would not be happy.

Jumping to her feet, she assumed a defensive stance. Staring into her opponent's excited eyes, Presea began to circle the arena, maintaining a constant distance between their bodies. She watched the positioning of his body, the agility in his footwork, creating possible strategies in her mind of how to take him down. But her mind was slow to think; the weariness from earlier still weighing on her body.

Her feet slipped on the cloth flooring soaked with blood from the dead, and she faltered.

Arpit was upon her.

The man tackled her to the ground; her scythes flying out of her grasp. He landed a punch in her stomach and her muscles contracted. She cried out as he dealt another blow to her cheek, then one to her nose. Hot blood poured out of her nostrils, down her lips, trickling off her chin. "Not so certain anymore, are you?" He laughed. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and smell his sweat. Her blood roared in her ears as his hand slid over her breast. "You should've thought better than to come here. This is no place for a woman like you."

Disgust and rage blazed through her. It didn't matter: his distractedness was enough. Grunting, the young woman boxed his ears, pounding her fists on either side of his head. He yelped and leaned away from her, holding his head in his hands, giving her an opening. Mustering her strength, the young woman drove her knee straight into his groin.

The man groaned and fell backward onto his butt, his hands protecting himself from greater harm. Presea rolled to her side and picked up one of her scythes, indignation still pumping through her veins. Clenching her jaw, she rose to her feet, and watched Arpit struggle to do the same, his face screwed up into an expression of rage.

"Guess you're a tougher bitch than you look. Doesn't change the fact that I'm gonna smash that pretty face in."

Her lips formed a hard line: the fire blazed in her gut. Fingers clenched around the handle of the scythe, so hard she could feel the wood threaten to give way under the pressure. Her fury grew and electricity pulsed through her body.

Then everything felt out of focus. The world became blurry before her eyes as a scorching inferno of emotion raced through her. She shut her eyes, grabbing onto the flames, bending them to her will. She felt them lick around her hand and soften under her touch.

Presea opened her eyes. Everything was sharper, clearer, more vibrant. Her body blazed, but she was in control.

Arpit flung himself at her, peppering her with a barrage of sword slashes. She blocked each and every one, the rage honing her concentration as she stopped him at each turn. As he continued, Presea felt him slow, the control of the blade waver. Then, as he raised his blade once more, she put out her hand and touched his chest. Mana flowed through her hand, stopping him in place for a second longer than he would have normally.

She sliced through his stomach.

He screamed and clutched the gash. His body crumpled to the floor as red liquid pooled down his shirt and onto his pants. He writhed on the floor, calling for help. Presea watched, unmoving. The injury wasn't deep enough to kill him, but would need stitches and require a vast amount of recovery time.

The young woman felt her arm raised. Her eyes shot the right: the referee held it up high, his teeth dazzling in the light. "And the winner is Zendaya!"

The crowd exploded in excitement. The waves of frenzy rolled over her, elation and adrenaline spiking through her nerves. She felt the corners of her mouth turn upward. The spotlight, the attention, the adoration: it was...intoxicating.

"Comin' back soon?" The Referee asked.

"I believe so."

"Good. Cause I'm puttin' money on you next time."

He gave her a wink and turned away, his attention now on the medics taking Arpit out of the arena. Presea headed to the edge of the pen and slid through the rubber fence, to where the gatekeeper awaited her.

"Here you go. Your earnings." He said, and dropped a small pouch into her hands, ignoring the hoots and hollers of onlookers.

Presea opened it, peering inside. Many gold coins. It was no tiny sum, but it was not what she had come for. "This is it?"

The gatekeeper raised an eyebrow. "You expected more? Come back to fight again and you'll get a larger payment."

"What about the prize?" She asked. There was no sense in hiding her desires here.

"Ohhhhh that's why you're here. You and everyone else."

"How do I get that?"

"You have to get to the last round. There are six rounds in all."

"And I just passed the first one."

The gatekeeper nodded, leading her back towards the exit, away from clamoring fans. "You got five more to go. But if you lose, you gotta start from the beginning."

"Then I cannot lose."

"That's what they all say." He laughed.

"So no one has made it yet to round six?"

"Yup. But there's some pretty advanced contenders these days. If you want to get to the last round, you're gonna have to come back as soon as possible."

So there was still hope to secure the orb, no matter how dire the path seemed. Presea nodded as she opened the door to Front Hook. She turned and looked at him. "What's your name?"

"Smirnoff."

"Smirnoff. Thank you."

The gatekeeper winked at her.

"I'll be back tomorrow."

"I don't doubt it."

As the door shut behind her, Presea Combatir walked back into the alley, blood pumping, vision slightly burry. She felt amazing. She felt electric.

She felt powerful.

* * *

The banging hadn't stopped. Over and over again, the clang reverberated through the door, the screams howling, attempting to break down any barrier: mental, spiritual, emotional.

The onslaught continued with no seeming end.

He crouched, huddled, shivered. Turned himself away from the yelling, the threats, the insults. Fear threatened to consume him, bury him. He wanted to run, but where? What if he opened the doors? Gave in? What if he listened and disappeared? Became...nothingness?

Cautiously, he reached out and grasped the pink memory. The warmth. He could feel the pink, the purple, the black. These were colors. The word had no meaning to him, but they represented a beautiful warmth that grew within him every time he reached out.

He hugged it to him, blocking out the shrieks behind him.

It was so kind. So generous. Almost like a caress.

 _Zelos..._

Shocked, he almost let it slip away. But he pulled it back again, frantic, clutching it to him, the warmth and the colors. The warmth, the colors, and now this whisper. This melodious whisper.

What was that word? The word the voice said? He knew it. He struggled. He pushed. He tried and tried and tried to identify it, but could not. What was it?

The pounding behind him stopped. Finished, at least for now.

It went away. The anger receded. He could feel the blackness disappear to whence it came.

He breathed.

 _Zelos..._


	20. A Compliment And A Contradiction

The trip to Heimdall was a wet one. Some thirty miles outside of Exire he flew into a rainstorm. Not as bad as the one he and Raine had encountered on their trip from the Kijara Seafalls, but one difficult enough to slow his travel time immensely. Though he easily manipulated his cruxis crystal to numb the chill in his bones, the angel still paused to cover himself with a cloak, though it proved an ineffective shield from the pouring rain. Still, it would do no good for him to show up on the doorstep of the Elves a dripping mess (they were known to be very particular about appearances, which was in accordance to their aloof reputation). The angel needed to present himself in the best light, considering what information he was trying to pull from their grasp (assuming it still existed).

When he reached the entrance of the forest town, he felt the tremors of memories inside his mind. They pushed against him, eager to be awoken and relived. The faces of Mithos and Martel flitted behind his eyes, but Kratos did not acquiesce. He had no interest at the moment diving into the past, recalling his first visit to the city of the Elves. It had not been a pleasant one, as three out of the four of his companions were half elves, and were met with extreme disgust by the citizens of Heimdall.

As he passed through the silver gate and into town, Kratos felt eyes on him as he followed the curving path deeper into the village. He knew the elves watched him from the safety of their homes, curious as to who the visitor was, for their society remained closed from most of the world. Even though the world had been Restored thanks to Colette and her friends (and himself too, Lloyd would say), half elves were still not welcome within the bounds of the city. But the Angels were a different thing entirely; a being to be scrutinized, examined. It was one of the few times he'd ever felt like a freak of nature, walking down that road in the pouring rain. It unnerved him; made his skin crawl. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat anytime soon.

Finally, he reached the cabin on the outskirts, the largest structure in all of Heimdall. It was the residence of whomever held the title of Chief, a position which required elections every 50 years. The current chief had been voted in only a year ago, as the previous had been killed when the Tower of Salvation exploded and its pieces rained down on Tethe'alla, destroying Heimdall in the process.

Kratos ascended the steps to the porch and knocked on the large, ornate wooden door, noticing the breeze swing the wind chimes hanging from the roof. Through the rain, his angelic hearing picked up the shuffle of footsteps inside. The door swung open to reveal a short, stout, Elven man with wrinkles in his forehead but none around the eyes. His hair was still a bleached blonde, and blue eyes bright like the sky on a cloudless day. He was in the middle of his life, young for a chieftain, but it appeared that with the rebuilding of Heimdall, the elves wanted a younger, fresher perspective to lead them into the new era.

"Chieftan Manorel."

"Kratos. I did not expect you at this hour, let alone on such a stormy day."

"I apologize for showing up unannounced. But it is important."

"Do come in. No point in you standing on the stoop getting soaked." The Elf ushered the human inside, closing the door behind him and going straight towards the small kitchen. Kratos shrugged off his coat, folding it neatly, doing his best to keep water from getting everywhere.

"Don't worry about it. Just throw it by the fire."

Kratos raised an eyebrow, but did as instructed, draping his coat on the sill by the fireplace.

"Do you want some tea? Brandy? I'm having the latter."

"Brandy."

"Good man."

Kratos wandered into the kitchen as Manorel grabbed a silver decanter and poured two glasses of red liquid. He held out one to Kratos, who took it with a gracious nod.

"So what is so important that you braved wind and rain to reach my humble abode?" Manorel asked as he sipped the brandy. "I know it's not about rebuilding efforts."

"Kimbel Draeys."

The chief's eyes widened. "That is a name I have not heard in a long time. What is it that you want to know about her?"

"I need information on her descendants." Kratos answered, taking a sip of his drink. There was a slight sweetness to it, but had the familiar burn in the aftertaste that he enjoyed. One of the better brandies he'd had in a while. The man briefly wondered if Raine would enjoy it.

"Her direct family line was wiped out during the Kharlan War. Though I'm sure you're aware of that." The Elf replied and went towards his bookshelf. Thumbing through book spines, he began a search. "I assume this has to do with Ratatosk."

Kratos froze.

"Your silence gives it away."

The angel could hear the smirk in the elven man's voice.

"How did you know?"

"The climate changes. The shift in mana. And you've just confirmed it."

Kratos downed the rest of the brandy and set the glass back on the counter. A warmth grew in his gut and in his neck. "Does anyone else know?"

"Here we are." Manorel pulled out a large, leather-bound book, the cover cracking with age. "This will tell us something about the extended family, if there is any."

He made is way over to a small desk, dropping the book down onto the tabletop, indifferent to the pages being crumpled underneath. The book itself must've been over 100 years old; the only way it was being preserved was by a spell of some sort, though it seemed to be wearing off. The angel took a spot next to the chieftain as he opened the book. A cloud of dust burst into the air, causing the pair to cough. Manorel waved it away and flipped through the pages, landing on the table of contents. Sliding his index finger down the browned parchment, he stopped on a particular name. Draeys.

"Here we are."

He flicked through the sections, arriving at the aforementioned page number. A long and complex family tree covered the paper, spreading over one onto the next, branches upon branches upon branches bleeding out from an original root at the top of the diagram. But Manorel appeared unfazed, and began analyzing the lines in his mind.

Minutes passed. Kratos felt his body tense. Would he find the answer he was looking for? Or was this another dead end? The silence dragging on only meant the trip had been futile. His mind buzzed: what was next?

A gutteral noise pulled the angel back to the present. Manorel looked at Kratos, his face grave.

"It seems the last generation of the family died out 1000 years ago, during our plague."

The angel cursed. It was just as he thought. A dead end.

"Tell me. What exactly are you looking for?"

Kratos explained what he and the others had discussed with Maxwell: Ratatosk, the orbs, the artifact, and Kimbel's story. The Elf listened intently, his brows scrunched together into a contemplative expression.

"I wish I simply had that information on hand, but it has been lost in our race's consciousness."

"And yet you still know Ratatosk."

"He is a legend of old. These days used to scare children into doing their chores or going to bed early. Now that you bring this story to me," he hesitated, then continued, "I know that it's more than that."

"Will you tell the Elves?"

"Why? We cannot do anything to aide you. Until there is something actionable I can help you with, I wish to keep this situation between ourselves." Manorel sighed. "I do not wish for that to sound callous. It is not my intention to keep us withdrawn. However, if I were to tell them the truth, I fear they would resort to past behaviors and retreat from the world once more. I am doing my hardest to keep that from happening. A quarter of our population have already gone to live among humans and half elves alike, which is a blessing in and of itself. I would hate to dissuade others who are considering to do so."

Kratos nodded. It was twisted logic, but still logic.

"So no one knows where the artifact is."

"The Storyteller might."

The angel's eyes widened, though the rest of his face remained impassive. He had forgotten the Elder that lived in the Latheon Gorge.

"It is too late for you to fly there today. The sun is setting and the rain has yet to stop." Manorel said, reading the man's mind. "Please stay here for the night."

"You forget, an Angel does not require sleep." Kratos grabbed his coat from the sill. It was slightly less damp, though not nearly enough to be considered dry. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Though rest would have done him good, there was no time. He needed to get answers as soon as possible and alert the others.

"Think nothing of it." Manorel said, walking him to the door. "If you do find anything more out, please tell me. I do not wish to stand by and let the world slide into chaos if I can do anything about it."

Kratos nodded.

"Safe travels."

* * *

The gorge lay fifty miles south of Hemidall, and navigating over mountainous region added an extra thirty minutes onto an already two hour trip. As the sun set behind the gray clouds and tall mountains, Kratos' eyes fell upon a small hut nestled into the side of a slope, almost invisible to the naked eye. It was tucked away, as if its owner did not wish to be found.

Landing a few feet from the door, the angel took a moment to gather himself. The rain had thankfully stopped once he'd left the forest, so his clothes, once drenched, were now only lightly damp. As he pulled at his clothing to orient it in the proper positions, his eyes zeroed in on the door. His heart skipped a beat as he thought of what lay behind it. The Storyteller. A man he'd not seen in years. A man who knew the history of the world to a 'T'.

Correction. A man who thought he knew the history of the world to a 'T'.

The angel clenched his hands and stuffed them into his pockets. The Storyteller knew the facts of the events, but he knew not the emotions behind these choices. He did not know the pain that existed within every decision, that motivated the course of events of history, so in his historical knowledge, all he could point to was a generalized influence. It was callous. Incomplete. Wrong.

But his knowledge was irrefutable, no matter how much Kratos took issue with the Elder's version of history. Kratos just wanted to speak with him, get what he needed, and leave as soon as possible, regardless of the time of night.

Mechanically, the man walked to the door and knocked. A second later, it opened, revealing an old, elvish man, back curved with age, a brown cloak wrapped around his frail body. The years had been unkind to him: his hair was an ashen white, wrinkles covered his face and hands, his gray eyes were tired. How much longer did he have left to live? And did he have a successor yet?

"Welcome Kratos. It is good to see you after so long."

"Storyteller."

The elf stood aside and Kratos entered, striding over the carpet into the small living space. Sweeping his eyes around, the man took stock of his surroundings. Piles of books. A small bed stacked with quilts. An equally small kitchen with a stove and ice chest. For some reason, he remembered the hovel being larger. But that had been many years ago. Age was starting to wear him down too.

"What is it you seek?" The Storyteller asked, shutting the door. He took a seat in the large armchair near the fireplace and gestured for Kratos to take the seat opposite him.

Reluctantly, the angel sat. "Kimbel Draeys. And the artifact."

"Ah. Yes."

The Storyteller moved his gaze from the man to the fireplance, where flames licked the air with their yellow and orange tongues. The crackling of the fire filled the air as the silence stretched on. The angel creased his lips into a line. He didn't have time to wait.

Finally, the Storyteller's voice broke the air: "Everything in this world has a yin and a yang. Good and evil. Right and wrong. Black and white. There is always a a twin, a compliment and a contradiction. Peace and war. Ultimately, they balance once another. It is the way of nature here on Aselia."

Reaching down, the old elf wrapped his hands around his silver poker, clenching it in his hand. He stuck the rod into the fire, poking at the logs, giving the fire air to breath. It flared at the opportunity for a new breath, burning the brown log in its path.

"When the Elves planted the Great Kharlan Tree Seed here on Aselia, they infused the planet with mana, therefore giving it life in a way it did not have before. It invigorated the planet, accelerating the growth of flora and fauna all over the continents. It infused energy into every living being. Humans evolved in the span of mere centuries versus millennia. The Mana also created the energy cycle of Aselia, with summon spirits to maintain and sustain it. However, there was the dark side to this light."

"Niflheim." Kratos murmured. It was the only choice.

"Exactly. This is where the concept of balance fits in. Without one or the other, the world is thrown into chaos. It would be nice to think that we could exist without the demon realm, but it is unfortunately a part of this energy cycle, and without it, our world would decline and die. Similar to the way one of the worlds would decline in Mithos' split dimension structure." The Storyteller leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. "And so we return to this compliment and contradiction reality. As with any beings, there is always a group that find an attraction to destruction. Of those here in the world of light, they tend to believe they can control the darkness of Niflheim and bend that world and its inhabitants to their will. On the other side, there are some demons that seek to take over the world of light, engulfing the entirety of Aselia in darkness. The Ginnungagap protects us from the impulses of both."

"The Ginnungagap. Is there a key?"

"Only one."

Kratos froze. It was as if a lightbulb had turned on in his mind. All this time, they had no idea what they were searching for. But now, it was so obvious.

Raine would not be pleased at her ignorance.

"The artifact."

The Storyteller nodded. "Yes. The Lance of Embla. It is the only key that can open the gate between the light and the dark realms."

"Where is it?"

Shaking his head from side to side, the Elven man sighed. "I do not know where Kimbel hid it. Regardless of its burial site, one still needs the orbs. The orbs themselves are the key to the Lance's materialization."

"What are they?"

"The orbs? Old Elvish magic. Some say they are the spirits of the summon spirits that inhabited Derris-Kharlan. Others say they are an old type of magitechnology. Whatever they are, that knowledge is lost to us, especially since the orbs disappeared."

Folding his hands in his lap, the elder fell silent. He began rocking back and forth in his chair, indifferent to the questioning gaze of Kratos. It seemed his mind floated elsewhere, away from the present and the conversation with Kratos. The Angel fought the urge to bring the old man back to the present. He wanted to know what he was thinking about, if it had any relation to his quest. But he knew he had to be patient. Interrupting would only impede the process.

Minutes later, the Storyteller emerged from his reverie and said, "There was one who searched for the Lance half a century ago. She was one of my aides. Though I told her such a project was fruitless, she was still insistent in her pursuit to find it. But life took a tragic turn for her and she ended up leaving Heimdall and the comfort of the Elves. I received a letter from her years later saying she had discovered its location, but I cannot verify whether this information was true or not. I have not spoken with her since, nor do I know where to find her."

"Who was this woman? Why did she leave Heimdall?"

"Her Elvish name is Arwen Keledri. A daughter of one of the older Elven families, she was well-versed in the histories of our race. But, like a few in our race, she fell in love and her family did not approve of her choice of mate. So she was banished from Hemidall."

"I assume she married a human man?"

The Storyteller nodded, his face grave.

"Do you still have the letter she sent?"

"I believe I do. Let me see if I can find it."

The Storyteller rose from his seat and wandered towards his desk and began ruffling through a stack of papers. Minutes ticked by, though it might have been hours. This could be the one clue that Kratos needed. If he could maybe find this woman, then she could lead him to the Lance. How they would use the Lance against Ratatosk, he did not know. But getting to it before the Summon Spirit was imperative.

Especially now that he knew why the Lance was so important. A shadow of fear passed over his heart. Ratatosk wanted to take his revenge by bringing demons into the world, killing everyone and everything.

The Angel could not let that happen.

"Here it is. She took a different name when she married her human. I always thought it was plain in comparison to her birth name."

Kratos rose and came to the old man's side. With a trembling hand, he proffered a piece of yellowing parchment, the corners torn and edges frayed with age. Delicately, the human took it in hand. His eyes glossed over the contents, reading each word of the letter, studying the beautiful cursive that shared the news. But as he reached the bottom, and came upon the signature, his heart stopped. His eyes glued to the name.

It was signed:

 _With My Deepest Regards,_

 _Virginia Sage_

* * *

A/N: I apologize, not my greatest chapter. But felt inspired so wanted to get it out.


	21. As long As I'm With You, I'm happy

A/N: Hello hello, everyone! Happy Holidays! I'm back, now that finals are over, and I took a much needed break (I did not sleep those first two weeks of December so needed to catch up). Hoping to get a few chapters out before the end of the year and I go back to school. I have outlined the rest of the story, so hopefully that will speed up the process. Anyways, let's get to it! ^_^

* * *

"Colette!" Lloyd gasped as he hopped off of Noishe's back and rushed through the brush towards the young woman. His heart leapt at the mere sight of her; the ex-Chosen, dressed in white, standing in the middle of the path, light shining down on her as if she had her own spotlight. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. More beautiful than his memory gave her credit.

The trip from Iselia to Hakonesia Pass had been a long and tiresome one, although it had only taken a day and a half. Two days ago, he'd received a message from Colette asking him to go to the Church in town, and ask for the emergency fund, then to bring it to her at Hakonesia Peak. Lloyd didn't even know there was an emergency fund for the Church, but it was a lot of gald (he'd never seen so much in his life).

The blonde turned to face him as he neared her, a look of relief washing over her face. His heart swelled as he slowed to a jog, Noishe following. Stopping inches away from her, Lloyd grinned, unable to hide his sheer happiness. She rushed to him and buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"I missed you." He whispered, embracing her, holding her to himself. Even though it had been only two weeks since they'd been separated, it felt like an eternity.

Lloyd lay a kiss on the top of her head, inhaling her perfume, the smell of lavender filling his nose. He lay his cheek on her head, closing his eyes, savoring the scent; he'd given that perfume to her for her birthday. He was glad that she was wearing it now.

He felt Colette squirm and released her as she turned her face upward, her bright blue eyes meeting his. "Thank you for coming," she said as she took a step backward so that he could see her in entirety. Her hair hung in a loose braid down her right shoulder, and the white dress she wore was emblazoned with the Church of Martel symbol. "I know this was last minute."

"Of course! I'd never pass up a chance to see you." A smile crossed her lips and his heart flip-flopped in his chest. No matter how many times he saw that smile, he would never get enough of it. "I brought what you wanted." The young man continued. Noishe whined as Lloyd opened the pack on the animal's back, rifling through his clothes to get at the package he'd acquired from Iselia's Church. "What do you need it for?" He asked as he fished out a brown, wooden box the size of a large, heavy book (it weighed the same amount too) and handed it to Colette.

Hesitantly, the High Priestess took it from him, running her hands over its wooden top, which was engraved with the same symbol that adorned her dress. Her voice, just above a whisper, answered: "To purchase one of the missing orbs."

"What?!" Lloyd stepped backward. Had he heard her correctly? She had found one of the last orbs? Were they one step closer to beating Ratatosk?

"Do you remember the man we met here during the Journey of Regeneration? The one who had the Book of Regeneration and all of those other artifacts? His name was Koton."

Lloyd crumpled his brow together, searching for the memory from two and a half years ago. _Koton_... _Koton_...

Then it hit him. He glared as he met her eyes with his, a small ounce of rage seething into his heart. "You mean that bastard who charged us 100,000,000 gald just to read it?!" Of course Lloyd remembered him. He couldn't believe the older man had tried and take advantage of Colette, who was giving her life to save Sylvarant from dying. She was the Chosen. He should have been willing to help Colette in any way possible. Lloyd's hands curled into fists at the memory of the beady-eyed, greedy, elderly man. Lloyd had hoped to never see him again.

It appeared that would not be the case.

"Yes, that is him. He has one of the orbs in his possession. He said if I paid him 2,000,000 gald, he'd give it me. Although, Ratatosk found out Koton has one of the orbs. But Koton charged him 4,000,000. So maybe that will buy us some time." Her voice sounded hopeful, though her eyes said different.

"Dammit."

She looked downward, her eyes concentrating on a patch of grass next to Lloyd's boot. Although her blond hair covered her face, the young man saw the white of her knuckles as she clenched to box in her hands.

"Hey, let's go to Koton and get the orb. We're here now, right?"

But Colette didn't move, her hands still gripping the box as if her life depended on it.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice gentle. The young man took a step towards her and lay a hand on her shoulder.

"These are Church funds. What I'm doing, buying the orb with this...is it right?"

"Colette..."

"I mean, I know this is to save the world." She murmured, brushing her bangs out of her face, her eyes glassy. "But I can't help but feel I'm taking advantage of my position. Of the people of Sylvarant. These are donations they give to the Church to aid in its foundation. Not to be used selfishly."

His stomach crumpled in on itself at the sound of the distress in her voice. Lloyd placed his other hand on her other shoulder, squaring her in front of him. "Think of it as a loan, 'kay? You'll pay it back as soon as Ratatosk is gone. You are saving them, remember?"

She remained silent, though he could see the gears in her mind turning.

"But if you don't want to do it, Colette, I understand. We'll figure it out either way." He leaned towards her, and she nodded, biting her lip. Never would he push her into anything she did not want to do. Colette had already given so much of herself, her life, to Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, but never had she sacrificed her beliefs. He wouldn't have her start now.

"I will...think of it as a loan." The High Priestess declared, though the words wobbled as they left her mouth. "Martel would agree with this course of action."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Straightening, Colette gave him a smile, though he knew it was fake, and he felt himself frown. "Let's go visit Koton."

Together, they hurried down the dirt path towards the old man's hut, Noishe padding behind them. As they reached the clearing, they could hear two voices inside the small home. Two male voices to be exact. And Lloyd did not like what that meant.

Just as the door swung open, Lloyd took Colette's hand and dove into the bushes next to the cabin, moving behind a boulder that provided sufficient cover.

"Thank you, sir, for the artifact. I must be on my way."

Lloyd and Colette locked eyes, horrified.

Ratatosk.

He was there. And he had the orb.

They were too late.

"Are you sure I can't interest you in the Circlet of Amania? A rare find if there ever was one. Genuine, I assure you," Koton schmoozed.

Lloyd wanted to punch him in the face.

"No, thank you. Amania was never my favorite Queen. Too uppity. Thought she ruled the world."

"Maybe then the Wand of Elvira?"

"No."

"But you were so interested in this...thing. It has no value whatsoever."

Lloyd heard shuffling behind the door, a gasp, then a grunt.

"You have no idea what this is, you pathetic little man. And if you ever require me to pay for what is rightfully mine again, I will slice you into pieces and scatter your body across the world, so no one will ever find you."

A thud. Then the slam of a door. Cautiously, Lloyd peeked from behind the rock, Colette doing the same. They saw Zelos — no, Ratatosk —, chest puffed out, a smirk spreading from one side of his face to the other. He tossed the orb up and down in the air. It glowed yellow, just like the sun. Laughing to himself, he began to meander down the path, away from the cabin. As the summon spirit passed the rock behind which the pair hid, he said, "Just one more, then it will all be mine." He continued down the path, throwing the orb in the air in a game of catch, as if it were nothing but a simple apple. Soon, he disappeared.

Seconds passed. Neither Lloyd nor Colette moved from their hiding spot, the reality of what they'd seen sinking in. Lloyd trembled. With Mithos, the young man had understood the pain that the half elf had gone through, and wanted to help him, even though he was beyond helping. But with Ratatosk, it was an entirely a different situation. The young man had never witnessed a creature so cruel, so frightening, so evil...

And now the spirit had an orb. He had one of the pieces to access the Lance. Well, he only had one piece, while they had the others, which was good, but still. The fact that Ratatosk had any of the orbs was scary.

And there was still one missing.

"It's all my fault."

Colette's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned his attention towards the young woman. Her hands covered her face, but he could see her lip quiver between her fingers.

"No way. This is not your fault." He took her hands from her face and held them, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. "Don't say that."

"If I had gotten the money sooner..."

Lloyd shook his head vigorously. "You can't think like that. You did everything you could. Koton was unreasonable, but you met his expectations."

"It wasn't enough."

The weariness in her voice cracked his heart. Not for a second did he believe she was at fault, but how could he show her that? He knew the dilemma she'd had regarding the money, but still, she'd gone ahead anyway and gotten it. "Hey." He pulled Colette against him so her head rested on his shoulder. Wrapping his arms around her torso, he looked down at her and declared, "We're gonna get the last orb, then we'll get the other one away from Ratatosk. And then we'll beat him and rescue Zelos. Okay?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I believe in us. I mean, we already saved the world once, right? We can do it again!"

Though even he doubted the optimism in his own words.

She nodded and beamed at him. "Thanks, Lloyd."

The disappointment ebbed through him, but he strained to keep a positive face for Colette. Instead, he focused on what he had planned for the two of them. "What do you say to heading back to Palmacosta?"

His stomach grumbled. Colette giggled.

"Sounds like someone is hungry."

"Yeah, I was thinking we could get something to eat..."

"Sounds great!"

* * *

It was early evening when the pair arrived at the seaside city. After saying good-bye to Noishe at the gate, Lloyd and Colette passed under the city's archway as the last streaks of purple faded from the sky and gave way to the blackness of the night. Though the sun had fallen under the horizon, and many had retreated to the comfort of their own homes, the streets of Palmacosta still bustled with activity. Nightlife entertainment had exploded over the various districts in the past year, with all sorts of bars and clubs popping up in the most unexpected places. And despite the terror attack on the city just over three months ago, these establishments continued to thrive, fueled by the pockets of young people and tourists.

As Lloyd and Colette walked down the main thoroughfare, passing shopkeepers closing up their stores for the night, Colette asked, "Should we see if Genis is free for dinner? It's been a while since the three of us spent time together."

"Um..." Lloyd hesitated, carefully keeping his eyes straight ahead. He didn't want to be a bad friend, but having seen very little of Colette over the past weeks, he wanted to spend time with her, alone. It was a selfish wish, but he couldn't apologize for it. Taking a deep breath, he responded, "I was kinda thinking that this could be just a...you and me thing. And then we could see Genis for breakfast tomorrow. Is that okay?"

He held his breath as he awaited a response. If she said yes, then he could go forth with his plan. If she said no...well, he'd have to save it for another time.

The corners of her mouth turned upward. "I'd like that."

The tightness in Lloyd's chest dissipated as he exhaled, anxiety washing away. Now all he had to do was carry on, and distract her from the day's earlier events with Ratatosk (and distract himself as well).

"What do you say to the 'Rusted Pig'? I promise it's way better than it sounds." He said, then rushed, "At least, that's what Sheena told me." Not exactly the truth. He'd done the research himself. Right now, all he wanted was to take her out and give her a nice evening.

"Okay!" She responded, clapping her hands together.

Twenty minutes later, the duo were seated in a booth in the back of a large, crowded restaurant. The dim purple lights cast a hazy glow over the walls, giving the air a hazy quality. Though the front of the restaurant was packed with people trying to jab their way to the bar to get a drink, Lloyd and Colette were tucked away from the excitement, away all from the clamor. It was as if they were in their own world.

"Wow, I didn't realize it would be this busy. Hope that's okay."

"This is really nice." Colette said. "Thanks for bringing me here, Lloyd.

The young man beamed. It seemed that he'd done his homework well.

"This is our first real date, isn't it?" She mused. Her eyes went wide and she blushed. "I mean, that we've been to a restaurant. I don't mean that all our walks and the picnics we had weren't dates! I liked those too!" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head back and forth, her blonde hair swaying and covering her already obscured face.

"It's okay, I understand." Lloyd responded, leaning in and kissing her temple.

She peeked at him from the space in between her fingers, blinking a few times, before removing her hands. "I don't want you to think that I don't value our time together."

"Don't worry, Colette. That would never occur to me."

A waitress appeared, seemingly out of thin air, her pink afro swinging left to right as she swiveled her head back and forth to look at each of them. "How about some drinks? Water, juice, alcohol? We've got it all here. What do you want, dearie?" She looked at Colette expectantly.

Alert, the young woman grabbed the menu from the tabletop, giving it a once-over. Twitching her nose back and forth, she said, "I think...I'd like a glass of white wine."

"Sure, which one?"

"What do you recommend?"

The waitress leaned her head to the side, tapping her pen on her lips. "If you want sweet, go with the one from Balacruf. If you want dry, the one from Katz Island is perfect. Both are fairly good. I'm partial to the one from Balacruf myself, 'cause I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth."

"I'll have the one from Balacruf." The High Priestess said, folding her hands over her lap.

"Great. And what about you, sir?" She turned her attention to Lloyd.

He hadn't even thought about it. Startled, he blurted, "An ale."

"What kind?"

"Uh...whatever you think is best."

The waitress frowned, but said nothing, jotting his request down on her notepad. "Coming right up." And she skipped away.

"I don't think she appreciated our orders." Colette grimaced.

"Yeah me either. Oops."

Colette giggled and Lloyd did the same. As their laughs gradually disappeared, silence blanketed their conversation. Lloyd searched his mind for something to say. All of a sudden, he felt awkward, as if he couldn't come up with something to mention. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. Maybe he should've just kept it simple, taken her for a picnic. But he wanted to surprise her. It had been so long since they'd seen each other, he had wanted to do something special. And she deserved it.

She deserved everything.

What had Zelos told him to do when there was a lull in conversation? Talk about the weather? Or was that her hair? Whatever, he'd go for the weather.

"I'm sorr—"

"So the weather—"

They stopped mid-sentence, stared, and laughed again. The sounds bubbled into the air around them, buoyantly bouncing on invisible threads, breaking the tension between the two.

"You go first." Lloyd grinned.

Shaking her head, Colette replied, "I'm sorry if I made it awkward. About the whole restaurant and date thing. I don't want you to think I don't appreciate this . I'm really happy we're doing this."

"Me too." Lloyd reached out and took her hand in his, gazing into her eyes.

"I've really missed you, Lloyd." She replied, giving his hand a squeeze.

Joy exploded in his core, making its way around his body. Did she have even the slightest idea of how happy she made him?

"How is Dirk?"

His brow crumpled together and his shoulders tensed as he averted his gaze, choosing to stare at the wooden tabletop gleaming in the glow of the purple lights. Just the thought of his dad ignited emotions that were so strong, so hard to damper and put out. Over the past few weeks, he'd had no one to talk to about what was happening to his father, how he was feeling about it. Even the fact that he needed to talk to someone about his father dying made Lloyd feel selfish. Why should he be allowed to feel angry and sad when his father was the one suffering? It was terrible. He was terrible. He'd hoped to avoid the question so he wouldn't have to talk about it. If Lloyd could, he would lie, but he was not good at keeping the truth from Colette. He never was.

Clearing his throat, he answered in a monotone voice, "He's not really getting any better. And I don't know what to do. He's just...letting time go by."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

His throat closed in, refusing to let any more thoughts escape from him. It was better that way.

"Lloyd, I know it's hard. I really do, having watched my mom pass away." She sighed. "But sometimes the only thing you really can do is be with them. That's all they want in the end, is to have someone to be there with them and give them final moments of happiness and peace."

Still, he didn't respond, but let her words wash over him. They floated in his consciousness, pleading, convincing, persuading. How could he just...let go? Give up? No, Lloyd wanted more time with Dirk, needed it.

"Here you go, lovebirds." The waitress appeared and set the two drinks on the table. "Have you thought about what you want to eat yet?"

"No, not so much. Could you please give us some more time?" Colette looked up at the woman, a strength in her voice that alluded to their need to be alone.

"No problem, honeybun. Just tap that button there when you're ready." The waitress pointed to a glowing pink button set on the wall, just above their heads. Then, she disappeared through the haze, presumably back to the front of the restaurant.

Lloyd removed his hand from Colette's — why did he do that? It was so comforting, but he didn't deserve it — and clutched it around the glass of ale. He brought it to his lips and took a swig, letting the cool liquid travel down his throat and into his gut. It was bitter, but he didn't care about the taste. All he could think of was his father, how he was just concentrating on himself, and not Dirk's suffering.

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but think of it this way. How do you want to remember your time with Dirk?" Colette took her glass in her own hands, staring into the light yellow liquid, it's shine reflecting onto her face, giving her a semi-halo. "I know that I wanted to make sure that my mom didn't have to want for anything in her last days. It was really sad for me, but the best thing I could do was be there, by her side. And I'm really glad I was. I'm really glad we didn't fight or anything. And I think you will be too."

He turned his face towards her again, this time meeting her eyes. "I know you're right. It's just really hard to watch him. I want to do something to help."

"And you are. Just by staying with him. Helping him around the house. Providing him with company." Colette took his hand once more; he felt a surge of warmth flood through her fingertips to his. She'd always had a healing touch. Maybe it had to do with her being the Chosen and all. Or maybe it was because she was just such a wonderful person. "You're going home tomorrow, right?"

Lloyd nodded.

"And you talked to him before dinner, right?"

He nodded again.

"That's all you can do. And I'm sure he was happy to hear from you."

A lump grew in his throat, and tears pushed against the back of his eyes. He sniffed and took another drink from his ale, this time feeling the heat start to seep in his stomach and make the world a little less sad.

"I'm here with you. I'll be there to support you."

He smiled at her. "I love you.

"I love you too."

They held each other's gaze for a minute. Then he grimaced: "This is kinda depressing. Not excatly how I thought the evening was gonna go."

"The Professor told me that if we can talk about good things and bad things and work together, that means we have a strong relationship. If we only share good things, then we have um...no substance?"

"That sounds like the Professor."

"Anyway, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

He felt his face grow hot, just as a blush passed over Colette's cheeks. Then Lloyd picked up his glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers."

They clinked glasses together, and drank.

"Oohh this is delicious!" Colette said, looking at the wine. "Just what I wanted."

"Good, I'm glad."

Colette took another sip of her drink. An inquisitive expression covered her delicate features as she opened her mouth to speak. "Say Lloyd..."

"What's up?"

Hesitating, she asked, "Do you think there's something going on between the Professor and Kratos?"

Lloyd's eyes went wide; his mind boggled. "What!?"

"I dunno, they spend a lot of time together."

"Just 'cause they're working. Do they spend time together otherwise?"

"I don't think so?"

"That would be weird if they were dating."

"Yeah, weird." She took another sip of wine. "But...kinda cute, right? I mean, the Professor is really practical. And so is Kratos."

This time, it was his turn to take a gulp of ale. The world started to become fuzzy. "Sure. But Kratos is kinda moody, you know what I mean?"

"But think about the Professor's "ruin mode"? I know we haven't seen it in a while, but she can also have very distinct moods."

"Good point."

Maybe the Professor and his father weren't so weirdly matched after all...

"But it's hard to picture them together, right?" Lloyd said, wincing.

"I think that's just 'cause Kratos is your dad and the Professor was kind of like our mom." Colette said, her cheeks reddening from the drink.

"Yeah..." Lloyd trailed off. "It wouldn't be bad, just weird, you know? It would take a little getting used to."

"I wonder what they're kids would be like."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, if they had kids. Would they be scholars like the professor? Or swordsman like Kratos? Or maybe both? That would be so cute! Toddlers running around with books and baby swords." She clapped her hands together, flying off into a fantasy.

Lloyd gaped.

"Oh my gosh! That would mean you would have half brothers and half sisters! And we could play with them. Ooh babies are soo cute!"

Lloyd groaned, and chugged more ale.

"You're killing me, Colette."

"But it's so fun to think about!"

She laughed, uncontrollably, doubling over in the booth.

"Hey! You're doing this on purpose." Lloyd pointed at her, trying to maintain an expression of displeasure, but he couldn't stop from grinning.

"Maybe just a little." She stopped laughing and winked. "But really, they could be a cute couple."

"Okay, sure. I can see it."

Colette grinned smugly over the rim of her glass and took another sip.

Lloyd rolled his eyes and pushed a menu at her. "Should we call for food?

"Yes, I'm starving!"

* * *

A few hours later, the pair ambled towards the local inn. By this time of night, the moon was high in the sky, though only a tiny sliver could be seen. Long, stringy gray clouds traveled over the darkness, covering up the twinkling stars. A cold breeze whistled through, prompting Lloyd to wrap his arm around Colette as they walked on the cobblestone path.

As they reached the inn, Lloyd moved to hold the door open for Colette. Yellow light blazed forth as the blonde stepped inside, Lloyd following just after her, closing the door gently behind them. He paused, tense, his hand still on the door knob. He looked up to see the young woman already at the counter. The young man gulped, his throat dry. He realized that they hadn't really discussed sleeping arrangements. Meaning...where she was sleeping and where he was sleeping. They should get separate rooms. It was best not to assume, he didn't want to pressure her. But if he didn't say anything, maybe she would think he wasn't interested and that was definitely not the impression he wanted to give—

"One room please."

He stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the young woman as she exchanged gald for two room keys with the desk attendant. Though the receptionist continued speaking, Lloyd did not hear the words she was saying, still focused on what Colette had requested and what it meant. A single room. They would be sleeping in the same room. In the same bed.

The. Same. Bed.

His face was aflame as they stepped into the elevator.

As the elevator rose, neither spoke. He could feel the tension in the air, so thick he could have sliced it with demon fang. And that was saying something.

Finally, there was a ding and the doors slid open.

It only made his heart beat faster.

"I think she said it was on this floor." Colette mused, and stepped out of the moving box, heading down the hall. Cautiously, Lloyd followed, silent, unable to fathom what was happening. Were they really going to stay in the same room? Was he dreaming?

She seemed calm. Like this was absolutely normal for them. Maybe she'd gotten a room with two beds. That would make sense. There was absolutely no reason to think they couldn't sleep in the same room, separately. Besides, they'd done it before, though Genis had also been in the room with his own bed—

All thoughts slammed to a halt as the door swung open.

There was only one bed.

His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes glued to the bed.

"What do you think?" Colette asked as she walked in.

Lloyd forced himself to look at the rest of surroundings. The room itself was fairly decorated: purple tapestries hung from the walls, a large, mahogany dresser filled the entire far wall, a big window with purple, velvet curtains drawn to the sides set just above it, looking down onto the town square...and the single canopy bed in the middle. "This is a nice room," he managed to say.

"The lady at the desk thought so too. She said it was... _intimate_."

A chill ran down his spine.

"So..."

They looked at each other. She shifted her weight from side to side and pulled a strand of errant hair behind her ear. She was nervous too.

That made him feel a little better that he wasn't the only one.

Dropping his bag to the ground, he walked to the bed and sat down on the edge, his heart pounding. Swallowing, he looked up at her and patted the spot next to him. Exhaling, the young woman joined him, sitting down, leaving an inch between themselves.

"I wasn't um...really expecting this." He said.

"Me either. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this." She stared down at her hands

"No, no. I mean...I'm happy we're here. And I'm..." He sighed, "I don't think there's any good way to say this?"

"I just thought maybe we could...maybe we were ready?"

Her face was aflush with pink, and he was certain his was as well. "I..uh...I think so too."

Slowly, he put his arm around her shoulder, and she inched closer to him. Colette turned her face upward, leaned in, and laid her lips on his. He was not prepared; his heart threatened to burst from his chest as it hammered away at her touch. It was soft, giving, perfect. He kissed her back, deepening it, grasping her lips with his and pulling her to him, so no space was left between them.

They fell backward onto the bed, and he entwined his fingers in her hair, pulling her face close to his. Her hands came to his chest and gripped his shirt, tightening with each passing second, crumpling the fabric. But he didn't care. All he could focus on the taste of her lips and the softness of her body against his. Her fingers traveled downward, reaching the hem of his shirt, then finding their way under it, onto his bare skin. He gasped and Colette pulled away.

"I'm sorry, is that too much!?" She shrunk back, fear flashing through her eyes.

"No, no." He shook his head vigorously, "I was just surprised. That's all."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I liked it. But maybe..."

As casually he could muster, Lloyd peeled off his shirt, though he trembled as he did so. He tossed it to the floor, uncertain as he met Colette's eyes. Maybe that had been too much. Suddenly, he felt self-conscious. No, he should go and pick it back up. But his trepidation melted away as he saw the awe in etched in the young woman's angelic features. This time, without hesitation, he moved to kiss her. It was a tender kiss, and he moved from her lips to her cheeks, then the bridge of her nose, then upon each eyelid, her forehead, and finally back to her lips.

Tentatively, as their lips locked in a dance, her fingertips drew circles over his skin, tracing the outlines of his muscles in his torso and upper body. He could feel the tremble in her fingers as they passed over his skin. Her touch sent electric currents through his body, igniting a desire within him that he had hesitated to entertain. Slowly, he moved his hands down her body to her waist, and gripped her hips, though not hard.

"Can I try something?" He whispered, releasing his lips from hers reluctantly.

"Sure."

Deliberately, he maneuvered her, so she was sitting atop him. He sat up and she, with her eyes wide, did the same. Biting her lip, she slowly pulled off her dress, and dropped it to the floor.

The fire within him burst to life, burning his insides. Staring at her in nothing but her pink underclothes was too much to handle. His body stiffened.

"Um...Lloyd? Is everything okay?" She inquired, starting to wrap her arms around herself.

"No, don't, please. I just..." He fumbled, "You're beautiful."

A shy smile came to her lips and her arms fell to her sides. "Thank you."

"I should, um..." Lloyd gestured to his pants.

"Oh! Right!" Colette slid off of him to the side, clutching her knees to her, eyes piqued in both fear and curiosity as he slowly removed his pants. Luckily, he was only wearing black boxers, not those embarassing yellow and green ones Genis had got for his birthday years ago.

Butterflies flitted around in his stomach as he turned back to her. "So I guess...um..."

Colette leaned forward and Lloyd met her halfway. Their lips met once more, the kiss only timid for the briefest of moments before transforming into one of eagerness. Through the kiss, he communicated his deep yearning. Without her, he did not feel whole. He had been afraid to admit that to her, even to himself. Colette was his light, and he wanted her with every inch of his being.

But a cold shadow passed over his soul, freezing him in place. All he wanted to do was make her happy. Cherish her. Love her. However, he was afraid of hurting her. Afraid of going too far. Afraid of breaking that which was still new, and yet so old that it may have been a bond they were born with. She was so precious to him that the thought of anything going wrong frightened him to his core.

He pulled away. Her eyes opened, not understanding.

"What's wrong, Lloyd?"

"Um..." He turned away, his eyes growing hot and his vision blurry. How could he say what he was thinking? It was embarrassing, frightening. Would she look at him differently? Find him unworthy? Silly? Pathetic?

"Is it something I did?" She asked in a small voice.

"No! No, not at all!" He assured her, whipping his head around to meet her eyes with certainty. "It's..." He heaved a sigh, his voice wavering, "I'm scared."

"You're scared? Why?"

"I'm, I, I just don't want anything to change between us. Like...bad."

"Oh."

She averted her eyes. "So you think if we...then something bad would happen?"

"No, no! I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this right." He covered his face with his hands. God, why was he so bad at this? Taking a deep breath, he began again: "Colette, you're so important to me. You're the most important person in the whole world."

She swept her gaze over to him, waiting.

"I'm afraid of messing something up here. Like, I want it to be good, don't get me wrong. But I'm afraid that if I do something wrong, then it'll hurt what we have. And I don't want that."

Silence.

"Lloyd," Colette took his hand, "You're not the only one that feels that way. I'm nervous too."

He exhaled and tried to smile, though his face flooded with shame.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We don't need to rush it." She said, placing his hand on her cheek. "But I don't think you should worry about it hurting us. I'm afraid of that too, but I do believe it would be good for us."

Lloyd nodded. "So what now?"

"We could just kiss? Then go to sleep? I'd like that."

"Me too."

And he dove into her embrace once more.


	22. In the Dark Recesses

A/N: Very short update. Just want to let you all know I have not forgotten this story!

* * *

She was back. Back with her annoying warmth and tantalizing light. Back with a desire to know, to forgive, to...

 _No._

He would not go there. He'd felt that once. Never again.

And yet, a part of him felt the pull of her, wanted to fall in—

 _NO._

Still she plagued his mind. Why did she have to be so...pleasant? Pleasant wasn't the right word, to weak of course, but anything stronger in its definition he could not say, for if he did, he would be blown off course, off the path he had set for himself. His journey was necessary. They had to pay for their sins. She hadn't been around for the Kharlan War. She hadn't seen the evil these creatures, human, elf, and half-elf alike wrought on the world — _SO WHAT DID SHE KNOW_? She still believed there was good in them. Pitiful. She would see that was not true. It would never be true. And it would break her heart like it had his.

Ratatosk...

 _GO AWAY._

He slammed her out of his mind. Threw up the walls so she couldn't push through again.

Silence. Darkness. Cold.

It was enough. What he wanted: to be alone.

He felt towards the back of the mind, to the dark recesses. There were doors there, doors to keep him out, just as he had done to her. He hated it. It was annoying, infuriating, maddening that they still existed after all these days and after all his efforts to tear them down. This was _his_ domain now. But this measly human was still getting in the way.

Reaching out, he felt stone. No handle, no carvings, just a stone slab separating him from the means to achieve his dream. He raked a claw down it and howled, the sound ringing and vibrating around him. He curled his hands into fists and banged on the door. Pummeled it, roaring, screaming, shrieking. The only way to gain his full power was to take over entirely. And he had to get this dying soul out—

He paused. Stepped back. Turned away and reached out into the mana stream, probing, searching. There was something else. Something...new and yet vaguely familiar. But he hadn't felt it before. But it felt like her and the others.

Curious, he tried to touch it, touch this new presence. But it was guarded. Closed to him.

He growled, reached out, trying to grab and seize it.

But it slipped away like running water, and disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.

What was it?


End file.
